30 Hours Free Childcare — Who Qualifies and How
In England, working parents with children aged 9 months to school-age can claim 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time. The rules are simpler than they look, but the practical implementation (term-time only vs stretched, Ofsted-registered providers, eligibility reconfirmation) catches families out.
The two free-childcare schemes
England has two stacked schemes:
- 15 hours universal: all 3-4 year olds get 15 hours/week of free childcare during term time, regardless of family income. Funded since 2010.
- 30 hours extended: working parents whose children are aged 9 months to school age get an additional 15 hours, totalling 30 hours/week during term time. Extended progressively from 2017 (3-4 year olds) to 2024 (children of all eligible ages).
30 hours = 38 weeks per year × 30 hours = 1,140 hours of free childcare per academic year. Some providers offer "stretched" plans (22 hours/week × 52 weeks ≈ same total) to provide year-round coverage.
Eligibility for the working-parents extension
- Each parent earning at least £167.94/week (16 × National Living Wage at age 21+) — the same threshold as Tax-Free Childcare.
- Neither parent earning over £100,000 adjusted net income — same cap as TFC.
- Child is at least 9 months old and below compulsory school age.
- Childcare provider is Ofsted-registered (or in Wales/Scotland the equivalent).
- You must reconfirm eligibility every 3 months through the same gov.uk childcare account as TFC.
Term dates and the 38-week structure
The "30 hours" is delivered in 38 school weeks. Most providers offer term-time-only (children attend only when schools are in session) or stretched plans (the same total hours distributed across 52 weeks). Some providers refuse to take stretched-plan children because their nursery's planning calendar follows the school year.
How 30 hours stacks with Tax-Free Childcare
You can use both schemes simultaneously. Typical pattern: claim the 30 hours for the bulk of weekly hours (e.g. 30 hours/week at the registered nursery), then use TFC to subsidise additional hours (e.g. a 35-hour/week nursery booking means paying for 5 hours, of which TFC covers 25%). For higher-spend families this combination is the largest available source of UK childcare subsidy.
Devolved nation differences
This guide describes the England-only 30 hours scheme. Equivalents exist with different rules in:
- Scotland: 1,140 hours/year for 3-4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds (no separate working-parents extension — universal eligibility for the full 1,140 hours within the relevant age group).
- Wales: 30 hours for 3-4 year olds via the Childcare Offer, working-parent eligibility test similar to England.
- Northern Ireland: no 30-hour scheme; universal 12.5 hours for the year before school entry.
How to apply
Apply through your gov.uk childcare account (the same one as Tax-Free Childcare). You'll receive a 30-hours eligibility code, which you give to your childcare provider. Providers verify the code through their local authority funding system. Apply at least one term before you want hours to start — codes issued by 31 March cover the summer term, by 30 June cover the autumn term.
