Funded childcare for working parents

30 hours funded childcare

If you live and work in England you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns 9 months old. This will last until they start school.

You can usually get funded 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

The amount of funded childcare you can get depends on:

• your child’s age and circumstances
• your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
• your immigration status

Your earnings

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

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

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

This table may help you identify if you meet the required income threshold:

You can earn up to £100,000 adjusted net income per year and be eligible. If you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income over £100,000 in the current tax year, you will not be eligible.

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’re self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months

If you have a partner who lives with you, they must also earn between these two amounts.

Self Employed

If you’re newly self-employed, you can earn less and still be eligible for funded childcare for working parents. This applies if your business is less than 12 months old.

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’re both employed and self-employed, you can use just your self-employment income if this would make you eligible. For example, if you expect your average self-employed earnings over the tax year to be more than you’ll get over the next 3 months as an employee.

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

To be eligible for funded childcare for working parents, you must have a National Insurance number. If you have a partner who lives with you, they must have a National Insurance number too.

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’re waiting for a decision
• permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this

If you’re not currently working

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

• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Limited Capability for Work Benefit
• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance

When do I need to apply

We recommend you contact your chosen childcare provider as early as possible to secure your place.

You can apply for your code up to 16 weeks before your baby turns 9 months old.  You will need to apply online before the deadline, and we recommend you apply at least 6 weeks before the deadline.  

Deadline Dates

You can check here if you are eligible

Apply here for free childcare if you are working