What Is the 30 Hours Free Childcare Scheme?

The 30 hours scheme gives eligible working parents in England 30 hours a week of government-funded childcare, for 38 weeks of the year (term-time). It's designed to reduce the cost of childcare enough that parents — particularly mothers — can stay in or return to work.

The scheme has expanded in stages:

DateWhat changedBefore April 202430 hours available only to working parents of 3–4 year olds; 15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds on certain benefitsApril 202415 funded hours introduced for working parents of 2-year-oldsSeptember 202415 funded hours extended to working parents of children from 9 months oldSeptember 2025Funded hours doubled from 15 to 30 for children from 9 months old — the full rollout is now complete

So today, there are effectively three overlapping entitlements in England:

• 15 hours universal — every 3- and 4-year-old, regardless of parental income or work status
• 15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds — means-tested, based on benefits
• 30 hours for working parents — children aged 9 months to school age, subject to the eligibility rules below

Who Is Eligible for 30 Hours Free Childcare?

To qualify, you (and your partner, if you have one) generally need to:

• Live in England
• Be in paid work (or on maternity/paternity/adoption leave, or receiving certain benefits like Carer's Allowance)
• Each earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage
• Each earn less than £100,000 a year in adjusted net income — going over this removes the entire entitlement, even for the other parent
• Have a National Insurance number and, in most cases, no restrictive immigration status

Your child needs to be at least 9 months old. You can apply from when they're 23 weeks old, and funding starts the term after they reach the qualifying age.

Not sure what you're entitled to? Gov.uk's childcare calculator checks your eligibility across all the schemes at once, based on your circumstances.

How to Apply

1. Apply online via your childcare account (Childcare Choices)
2. Receive an 11-digit eligibility code
3. Give the code to your childcare provider
4. Sign in to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months

Deadlines matter. To start receiving funding from September, most local authorities require applications by 31 August; later applications typically start the following term.

What It Costs — and Saves — in London

Nationally, the funded-hours expansion has sharply cut costs for under-3s: Coram's Childcare Survey 2026 found that a part-time nursery place for a child under two, for eligible working families, is now theoretically free during term time, and full-time costs have fallen substantially compared with before the expansion.

London remains more expensive than the national average, and the savings aren't universal:

• Availability gaps persist. Coram's research shows sufficiency of childcare places varies significantly by local authority, and inner London boroughs have seen sharper cost rises for the services the funded hours don't cover. The London Datastore tracks London-specific cost trends if you want borough-level context.
• Holiday childcare is the gap the scheme doesn't touch. Coram's 2026 Holiday Childcare Survey found the average cost of six weeks of summer holiday care has risen again this year, and holiday clubs cost close to three times as much as after-school childcare during term time — with Inner London seeing some of the steepest year-on-year increases.
• Extra charges still apply. Meals, trips, nappies, and hours beyond the funded 30 are typically not covered, and some providers charge a top-up or "consumables" fee.

What the Scheme Doesn't Cover

• School holidays — the 38-week term-time model leaves roughly 13–14 weeks a year where parents must find and fund care themselves
• Non-standard hours — evening, overnight, and weekend care for shift workers (common in NHS, retail, and hospitality) generally isn't included
• Additional fees — meals, activities, and any hours above the funded 30 are usually charged separately
• Families with one high earner — if either parent earns £100,000+, the household loses the entire entitlement, which creates a sharp cliff-edge for some middle-income families

30 Hours Free Childcare vs Tax-Free Childcare — What's the Difference?

These two schemes are often confused, but they work differently and can usually be used together:

30 Hours Free ChildcareTax-Free ChildcareWhat it isFunded hours of childcare, provided direct to your providerA top-up savings account: you pay in, government adds 20%Age range9 months to school ageUp to age 11 (16 if disabled)ValueUp to 30 funded hours/week, 38 weeks/yearUp to £500 every 3 months per child (£2,000/year); up to £1,000/£4,000 if disabledGood forThe core funded hours during term-timeTopping up costs the free hours don't cover — extra hours, meals, holiday clubs, after-school clubsCan't combine with—Universal Credit childcare support

In practice, many London families use Tax-Free Childcare to cover exactly the gaps we've flagged above — school holidays, extra hours, and additional charges — since it can be used for holiday clubs and after-school care as well as nurseries and childminders. It's worth checking both, since the two schemes have separate application processes and eligibility checks, even though they share the same 3-month reconfirmation cycle.

Why This Matters for London's Workforce

Affordable childcare has a well-documented link to parental — especially maternal — employment. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has consistently found that childcare costs are a major factor in whether mothers increase their working hours or stay in work at all. In a city where many parents work shift-based jobs in the NHS, retail, and hospitality, the gap in holiday and non-standard-hours coverage remains one of the clearest barriers to the scheme reaching its full potential.

What Could Still Improve

1. Extend funding to school holidays, so support is year-round rather than term-time only
2. Support flexible and non-standard hours, so shift workers in healthcare, retail, and hospitality can use the scheme
3. Improve price transparency, so parents can see clearly what's funded versus what's charged as an extra
4. Address local supply gaps, particularly in higher-demand London boroughs where places are hardest to find

FAQs

Does the 30 hours scheme apply to babies, or only 3-4 year olds?Since September 2025, it applies to any eligible child from 9 months old up to school age — not just 3- and 4-year-olds.

Does 30 hours funding cover school holidays?No. It covers 38 weeks a year (term-time only). Parents need to find and pay for their own care during school holidays, though some providers let you spread the hours across more weeks at a lower weekly rate.

What's the income limit for 30 hours free childcare?Each parent must earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage, and each must earn less than £100,000 a year. Exceeding £100,000 removes the whole household's entitlement.

Are there extra charges on top of the 30 free hours?Often, yes. Meals, trips, nappies, and any care beyond the funded hours are usually charged separately by the provider.

How do I apply?Apply through your Childcare Choices account at gov.uk, get your 11-digit code, and give it to your provider. You'll need to reconfirm eligibility every 3 months.

Is Tax-Free Childcare the same as 30 hours free childcare?No. Tax-Free Childcare is a separate top-up scheme where the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in, up to £2,000 a year per child (£4,000 if disabled). It covers children up to 11 (16 if disabled) and can be used alongside the 30 hours entitlement, but not alongside Universal Credit childcare support.