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You may be able to get free childcare if your child is aged 9 months to 4 years old and you live in England.

There are:

• 听

You can get up to 30 hours of free childcare a week.

The childcare must be provided by a registered provider, such as a registered nursery, playscheme or school. This is known as 鈥榓pproved childcare鈥�.

Who can get free childcare

To be eligible for free childcare, you (and your partner, if you have one) need to be in work or about to start a new job and earn over a certain amount.

You鈥檒l need a National Insurance number to apply.听

When to apply

You can apply for 30 hours of free childcare from when your child is 23 weeks old.

Check the deadlines for applying.

How to apply听

To apply you鈥檒l need to set up a childcare account.听

If your application is approved, you鈥檒l get an 11-digit code that proves you鈥檙e eligible to get free childcare. You鈥檒l need to give this code to your childcare provider.

If you鈥檙e already getting 15 hours of free childcare

You鈥檒l automatically get 30 hours of free childcare from September, as long as you鈥檙e still eligible. You鈥檒l need to confirm your details are up to date in the usual way and give the code to your childcare provider.

Confirm your details are correct

To keep getting free childcare, you must confirm your details are up to date by signing in to your childcare account every 3 months.

Other help you may be able to get

As well as getting free childcare if you鈥檙e working, you may be able to get either:

• Tax-Free Childcare
• Universal Credit childcare

HMRC will check if you鈥檙e eligible for Tax-Free Childcare when you apply for free childcare if you鈥檙e working.

You cannot get both Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare at the same time.听

The number of hours of free childcare you can get depends on the age of your child.

If your child is aged 9 months to 2 years old

Children aged 9 months to 2 years old currently get 15 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year.

You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks.

Check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer.

If you鈥檙e already getting 15 hours of free childcare

You鈥檒l automatically get 30 hours of free childcare from September, as long as you鈥檙e still eligible. You鈥檒l need to confirm your details are up to date in the usual way and give the code to your childcare provider.

If your child is 3 to 4 years old

You can get 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year.

You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks.

Check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer.

Things you may have to pay for

Although the childcare is free, you may have to pay for some extra costs, such as:

• meals
• nappies
• additional hours
• additional activities, such as trips

Your provider should not charge you a non-refundable registration fee or any top-up fees to cover the cost of your free childcare.

Ask your provider what extra costs you will have to pay for.

The amount of free childcare you can get depends on:

• your child鈥檚 age and circumstances
• whether you鈥檙e working (employed, self-employed, or a director)
• your income (and your partner鈥檚 income, if you have one)
• your immigration status

You will not be eligible if either:

• your child does not usually live with you
• you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income of over 拢100,000 in the current tax year

Your child鈥檚 age and circumstances

The number of hours of free childcare you can get depends on the age of your child.

If your child is 9 months to 2 years old

Children aged 9 months to 2 years old currently get 15 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year. From September 2025 this will increase to 30 hours per week.

If your child is 3 to 4 years old

You can get 30 hours per week of free childcare for 38 weeks of the year.

If they鈥檙e being fostered by you

You can claim free childcare if you鈥檙e working as long as:

• you鈥檙e in paid work outside your fostering role听
• your 鈥�adjusted net income鈥� is under 拢100,000

You cannot use the online application to get free childcare. Speak to your social worker and your local authority if you want to apply.

If you鈥檙e working

You can usually get free childcare for working parents if you (and your partner, if you have one) are:

• in work or starting a new job
• on sick leave or annual leave
• on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave

If you鈥檙e not currently working

You may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you are on carer鈥檚 leave or if you get any of the following:听

• Incapacity Benefit听
• Severe Disablement Allowance听
• Carer鈥檚 Allowance听
• Limited Capability for Work Benefit听
• contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance

Your income

Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least:

• 拢2,539 before tax if you鈥檙e aged 21 or over (equivalent to 拢195 per week)
• 拢2,080 before tax if you鈥檙e aged 18 to 20 (equivalent to 拢160 per week)
• 拢1,570 before tax if you鈥檙e under 18 or an apprentice (equivalent to 拢120 per week)

This is the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week on average.

You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if:

• you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly
• you鈥檙e self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months

Example

If you鈥檙e self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago

You can earn less and still be eligible for free childcare for working parents.

If you have more than one job

You can use your total earnings to work out if you meet the threshold. This includes:

• earnings from any employment
• earnings from any self-employment

If you鈥檙e both employed and self-employed, you can use just your self-employment income if this would make you eligible.

Income that does not count toward your minimum earnings

Certain types of income will not count towards the minimum amount you must earn to be eligible.

These include:

• dividends
• interest
• income from investing in property
• pension payments

Your immigration status

You (and your partner if you have one) must have a National Insurance number.听

The person who applies must also have at least one of the following:

• British or Irish citizenship
• settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you鈥檙e waiting for a decision
• permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this

If you are not eligible for free childcare for working parents

You may be able to get other help towards childcare costs.

If your child is between 3 and 4 years old and you live in England, you can get 15 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year.

If you claim certain benefits, you may be eligible for free education and childcare for 2-year-olds under a separate scheme.

Check when to apply for 30 hours of free childcare.

As the deadline for applying for 15 hours of free childcare has passed, you鈥檒l now be applying for 30 hours instead.

Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your free childcare starts.

When to apply for 30 hours of free childcare

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old.

When your child turns 9 months old听	When you can get your hours from	Deadline for applying
Between 1 September and 31 December	1 January	31 December
Between 1 January and 31 March	1 April	31 March
Between 1 April and 31 August	1 September	31 August

鈥媁hen to apply if you鈥檙e returning to work after maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave

The date you return to work will affect when you can apply for free childcare.听

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old.

Date of returning to work	When you can get your hours from	When to apply
Between 1 October to 31 January	1 January	1 September to 31 December
Between 1 February to 30 April	1 April	1 January to 31 March
Between 1 May to 30 September	1 September	1 April to 31 August

If you鈥檙e on shared parental leave for the child you鈥檙e applying for

You can apply if one of you goes back to work within one month of the start of the autumn, spring or summer term. This means one of you must return by:

• 30 September
• 31 January听
• 30 April听

The other parent can then remain on parental leave until a later date.

When to apply if you start a new job

You can apply for free childcare if you鈥檙e starting a new job. The date you start will affect when you can get free childcare.听

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old.

Date of starting work	When you can get your hours from	When to apply
Between 1 October to 31 January	1 January	1 September to 31 December
Between 1 February to 30 April	1 April	1 January to 31 March
Between 1 May to 30 September	1 September	1 April to 31 August

Use this service to apply for free childcare if you鈥檙e working and you live in England.

If your application is approved, you鈥檒l get an 11-digit code that proves you鈥檙e eligible to get free childcare. You鈥檒l need to give this code to your childcare provider.

What you need to apply

You鈥檒l need your (and your partner鈥檚, if you have one):

• National Insurance number
• Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), if you鈥檙e self-employed (if you have a UTR)

You鈥檒l also need:

• the UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) of any children you鈥檙e applying for
• the date you started or are due to start work (this can be approximate if it鈥檚 more than 3 months ago)

If you鈥檙e a director

You鈥檒l need to show you meet the minimum income requirements to be eligible. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will try to check this using your PAYE records.

If you do not submit regular PAYE information, you may have to provide evidence to show you are working and expect to meet the minimum income requirements for the next 3 months. This could be:

• wage slips
• bank statements
• a statement from your accountant
• copies of invoices

If you鈥檙e not paid regularly (for example, once a year) you may need to send other evidence to show you鈥檒l meet the minimum income requirements, such as:

• annual wage slips
• year end payroll
• a letter from your tax agent or adviser confirming your salary has been paid and taxed

You鈥檒l need to do this the first time you apply, and every time you reconfirm your eligibility.

If you have a partner

You must include your partner in your application if you鈥檙e:

• married or in a civil partnership and live together
• not married or in a civil partnership, but living together as though you are

Their employment and income will not affect your eligibility if they:

• are or will be absent from your household for more than 6 months
• are a prisoner

You and your partner cannot both have a code for the same child.

If you are separated

You and your ex-partner need to decide who should apply if you are jointly responsible for your child.

If you cannot decide, both of you must apply separately and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will decide who gets a childcare code.

Apply

To apply you鈥檒l need to set up a childcare account.

It usually takes 20 minutes to apply.

If you鈥檝e been unable to use the service

You may be able to claim compensation if you鈥檝e had technical problems with your account.

After you鈥檝e applied

You鈥檒l usually find out if you鈥檙e eligible straight away, but it can take up to 7 days.

Once your application has been approved

You鈥檒l get an 11-digit code in your childcare account.

HMRC will let you know by text or email that the code is in your account.

Give the code to your provider along with:

• your National Insurance number
• your child鈥檚 date of birth

If you have not heard from HMRC

Contact the Childcare Service helpline if you applied more than 7 days ago and you still have not heard from HMRC.

Reconfirming your eligibility

To keep getting free childcare, you must reconfirm your eligibility by signing in to your childcare account every 3 months.

If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you鈥檒l have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account in order to keep your code valid.

To keep getting free childcare if you鈥檙e working you must sign in to your childcare account every 3 months and confirm your details are up to date.

You鈥檒l then get an 11-digit code to give to your childcare provider.

You can also use this service to sign in to your Tax-Free Childcare account to:

• pay money into your account
• pay your childcare provider
• apply for a new child

Sign in

Sign in to confirm your details are up to date.

If you鈥檝e been unable to use the service

You may be able to claim compensation if you鈥檝e had technical problems with your account.