Help with childcare costs from the UK government
Childcare is expensive. While government support exists to bring costs down, it only helps if you know what you’re entitled to.
We’ve listed some of the well-known and lesser-known schemes that could make childcare more affordable. Are you getting everything you’re entitled to?
The information below is intended to give you an overview so you know what support is available. We can’t guarantee that you’re eligible for certain schemes but we’ve provided links to help you find out. This schemes are also subject to change!
You might also be able to claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit, which you could use to pay for childcare.
Government-funded childcare hours (England, Scotland and Wales)
If you are a parent living in England, Scotland or Wales, you are likely entitled to between 15 and 30 hours of free childcare per week for each of your children.
What you're able to claim depends on your child's age, where you live and whether you meet the eligibility criteria - see below for more details.
It's also important to be aware that you may still have to pay for extras that the child needs while at nursery, like nappies and food.
Not all nurseries and childminders offer this scheme so you will need to do some searching. When you find one that does, contact them directly. They’ll ask you some questions to make sure you’re eligible and may ask you for proof, for example of the benefits you’re receiving.
Summary table
Details below are correct at time of writing (August 2024) but subject to change in the future. Eligibility, usage and local authority rules apply, so please check before applying.
| Child age: 9 months - 2 years | Child age: 2 - 3 years | Child age: 3 - 4 years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 15 hours per week (for 38 weeks of the year) available to working parents | 15 hours per week (for 38 weeks of the year) available to working parents | 15 hours per week available to all parents, plus an extra 15 hours for working parents (for 38 weeks of the year) |
| Wales | None | None | Up to 30 hours per week (for 48 weeks of the year) available to working parents |
| Scotland | None | None | 1,140 hours a year available to working parents |
If you live in England
Depending on your child's age, the UK government may pay your nursery or childminder for some of your childcare hours. But eligibility rules apply for all age groups, so please check before applying!
For children aged nine months to two years:
As of September 2024, working parents may be able to claim 15 hours of funded childcare for children aged nine months to two years.
For children aged two to three years:
As of April 2024, working parents may be able to claim 15 hours of funded childcare a week.
Also, parents who receive certain benefits may be able to claim free childcare after their child turns two.
For children aged three to four years:
If your child is three or four, you'll get 15 hours of free childcare a week (for 38 weeks of the year), even if you're not in work.
If you (and your partner if you have one) are in work, you may also be eligible for an extra 15 hours of free childcare each week (a total of 30 hours a week, for 38 weeks of the year).
Find out more about free childcare hours in England
If you live in Scotland
From the age of three, and until the child reaches school age, all parents living in Scotland should get up to 1,140 hours of "funded early learning and childcare" a year. This works out as around 30 hours a week during term time.
If your child has experience of care or you are eligible for certain benefits, such as income support, you may be able to get these free childcare hours from the age of two.
Find out more about free childcare hours in Scotland
If you live in Wales
Parents living in Wales also get up to 30 hours of free childcare for three to four year olds every week (up to 48 weeks a year).
However, at least 10 hours of this must be spent on early education, such as a playgroup or school. The remaining 20 hours don’t have to be used during term time so parents can make use of them at weekends or during school holidays.
Parents living in certain disadvantaged areas may be entitled to 12.5 hours of free childcare for 39 weeks a year from when the child turns two.
You can check if this is available in your area with your local Family Information Service.
Pre-School Education Programme (PSEP) (Northern Ireland)
Parents in Northern Ireland can apply for a year of pre-school education in the year immediately before their child starts primary school via the Education Authority website.
This is generally at least 12.5 hours a week of educational childcare, during term time, for each child aged three to four years (22.5 hours in some settings).
However, this can only be used in pre-school (educational) facilities during the year before the child reaches school-age. The funding comes from the Department of Education so it’s not described as “childcare”, but as pre-school education.
Find out more about free pre-school education in Northern Ireland
Universal Credit for Childcare (UK wide)
If you’re eligible for Universal Credit, you may be able to claim up to 85% of the cost of childcare through this scheme.
This can be worth up to £1,014.63 for one child or up to £1,739.37 for two or more children.
Include your childcare needs in your Universal Credit application.
Tax-free childcare (UK wide)
This scheme can save you up to £500 per child (£1,000 if your child has a disability) on childcare costs every three months! This is capped at £2,000 of savings a year, or £4,000 if your child has a disability.
If you pay your nursery, childminder or afterschool clubs through the government portal, then for every £10 that the childcare costs, you pay just £8 and the government pays £2. The care provider has to be registered for this scheme.
You can use this scheme at the same time as claiming the free childcare hours. But, a word of warning: you can't get tax-free childcare and claim Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers at the same time.
So, it's important to work out which scheme will save you the most money.
Eligibility
You and your partner (if you have one) must be in work to be eligible to use this scheme. However, if you can’t work because of long-term illness or because of certain care responsibilities that stop you from working, you may still be eligible.
If you or your partner isn't working, you might still be eligible if you're receiving certain benefits.
Childcare Vouchers
You may have heard of this scheme which is now closed to new applicants. Childcare Vouchers allowed you to pay for childcare through your employer. The childcare fees came out of your pay before tax, saving most people 20%.
However, this scheme is now closed (unless you started it before 4 October 2018). It has been replaced by ‘tax-free childcare’, which will save most parents the same amount of money and isn’t reliant on employers signing up.
Care to Learn (England)
If you’re a parent aged under 20, you may be able to claim childcare support while you’re studying.
If your course is publicly funded, you may be able to claim up to £180 a week (£195 a week if you live in London) paid directly to your childcare provider.
The £180 can be used to cover things like the cost of taking your child to their childminder and keeping your child’s place over the holidays.
Specified Adult Childcare credits (childcare provided by Grandparents and other family members)
Family members who look after a child under 12, don’t get paid directly but may be able to claim national insurance credits. This could help boost the amount of State Pension that the family member can claim when they retire.
You must have been under State Pension age at the time you provided the care and the child’s main care giver must have been claiming child benefit.
You can backdate a claim if you’ve looked after a family member’s child since 6 April 2011.
Additional Working Tax Credits for wraparound care
Wraparound care is usually provided by schools in the form of breakfast clubs or after school clubs, which parents pay for.
If you are eligible for Working Tax credits, you may be able to claim extra money to go towards this type of childcare.
You must be getting Child Tax Credit already to be eligible for Working Tax Credits.
Informal support with childcare
Of course one of the best ways to save money on childcare is to ask for help from friends and family.
It’s not an option for everyone, but babysitting circles or taking turns looking after each other’s children can save you thousands of pounds.
Once your children start school, sharing pick-ups and drop-offs with other parents can free up time, which is particularly helpful if you’re working.
Just make sure you’re not paying anyone to look after your children regularly unless they’re a registered childminder. While you can pay someone on a one-off basis to look after your children in your own home, if this is regular commitment then they would technically be your employee and they would need to be registered as a childminder.
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