Ask us anything about funded childcare - eligibility, applying, and what to expect £100 voucher to be won!

[LibbyMumsnet]

From September, eligible working parents in England with children aged 9 months to school age will be able to access up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week - part of the government’s expanded childcare offer in England.

We know that for many parents, it’s not always straightforward. You might be wondering:
– Am I eligible?
– How do I apply – and what’s the deadline?
– What will funded hours actually look like in practice?
– How do I feel about sending my child to nursery or a childminder?

This Q&A is here to help. Whether you’re after clear, practical info about the funding or want a better sense of what formal childcare is really like, post your question below and we’ll do our best to get it answered.

No question is too small – if it’s on your mind, chances are it’s on someone else’s too.
We’ve brought together two brilliant experts to support this discussion:
👩‍💼 Sarah Walker, an experienced Early Years teacher, who can answer any questions about formal childcare
👩‍👧 Tina Williams, Head of Editorial at Mumsnet and a parent currently using funded hours, who’ll be sharing her real-life experience

They’ll be answering questions weekly throughout July and August in the lead-up to the 31st August application deadline.

💬 Ask your question below by 31st August and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 VEX gift voucher (T&C’s apply)

Hello, would it he possible to receive a response to my question posed above. I'm just conscious of the deadline.

Thank you.

Just to follow up on this, I called the childcare account number and was advised that I have a 24hr period in which to apply - that is due to it being the 31st August deadline combined with my return to work date.

You already have your code by 31st Aigust so that is done and the increase in hours is automatic and nothing different needs to be done from the 15 hours you were already receiving.

Tbf this info is available even if you Googled rather than missing out .

You can use your funded hours with any registered childcare provider that’s signed up to deliver the scheme. The key is that the provider needs to be registered with Ofsted, follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and offer the funded entitlement.

It’s worth asking the playgroup directly if they’re registered to provide funded places, and how they deliver the hours. Hope that helps @pushchairprincess

Hi @VidyaS – because you’re on a skilled worker visa without access to public funds, your child wouldn’t be eligible for the 30 hours funded childcare, as the parent who applies for this needs to have recourse to public funds.

You can find more information at Childcare Choices for details.

Hi @MileyM - In Northern Ireland the support is a bit different from the rest of the UK. You can still use Tax-Free Childcare, and there’s also the new Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) which gives extra help if your provider is signed up. The best place to start is the Early Years website for Northern Ireland: early-years.org - they’ve got all the details and links to next steps.

Hi @AuthorMama – all 3- and 4-year-olds get 15 hours a week funded childcare (from the term after they turn 3), regardless of parents’ work status. To get 30 hours, both parents usually need to be working and earning at least the minimum threshold, so in your case you would be eligible for the 15hrs of childcare.

You can still use the funded hours at your private/day care if they’re registered - just ask them if they offer the funded hours.

Hi @InNeedOfASideHustle – yes, you’ll usually need to let both your private nursery and your school know you’re switching. Your local council can guide you on any forms or applications needed to transfer your funded hours smoothly, and you should still make sure you reconfirm your code as usual.

Hi @Rose41 – all 3- and 4-year-olds get 15 hours free. The extra 15 hours (making 30) is only for working parents who meet the earnings threshold. If your income is below that, you’d stay on 15 hours. You can find more info on what you can get at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

@tori1301 If your baby turns 9 months old in September, they would normally start funded hours from the term after they turn 9 months, which in your case is the January term.

The guidance about applying by 31 August for parents returning to work between 1 May and 30 September applies when the child is already old enough to take the hours that term (usually over 1 year old), so unfortunately, in your situation, even though you’re returning to work in September and have a childcare code, the baby is too young to use the hours until the January term.

I know that’s tough, especially as a single parent needing full-time care. The advice from HMRC and your local provider would be the same: you can’t start the funded hours early just because you’re returning to work — eligibility is based on the baby’s age and the term rules.

You might want to take a look at your eligibility for Tax-Free Childcare, which has the same income criteria as 30 hours, but you don't need to wait for the termly deadline to start using it. You can find out more about Tax-Free Childcare on www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

You’ll generally need to revalidate your funded hours whenever you change settings. This is to make sure the new nursery or childminder has your correct eligibility and hours on record. You should continue to reconfirm your code every three months, as you would have before changing settings.

Here are some next steps @MumTeach88 - hope this helps:

• Contact your new setting and let them know your child is moving there.
• They will usually ask for your childcare code or to re-check your eligibility.
• Confirm the hours and start date with the new setting so there’s no gap.

If you do this promptly, you shouldn’t lose any funded hours when you start in October.

The rule is that your child becomes eligible the term after they turn 9 months, and the year is split into three windows:

• If they turn 9 months between 1 January and 31 March, they can get funded hours from the April term.
• If they turn 9 months between 1 April and 31 August, they can start from the September term.
• If they turn 9 months between 1 September and 31 December, they can start from the January term.

Because your daughter turned 9 months in July, she falls into the April–August window. That means she should be eligible to start funded hours from September, not January.

You’ve already got your code in place, which is exactly what’s needed. It might be worth pointing your provider or local authority back to the Childcare Choices guidance, as sometimes the dates are misread. Hope that's helpful @MMEBB.

Hi @Kaaldane! Yes, that’s normal. Local authorities sometimes ask for a child’s NHS number when processing funded childcare claims. It’s one of the ways they can check a child’s identity and make sure the funding is being allocated correctly.

Not every council asks for it, but if yours does, it’s simply part of their system for verifying details. Your nursery will pass it on to the council’s funding team, and it won’t be used for anything other than confirming your child’s entitlement.

Hi @TTCJJB! The 31 August deadline is there to make sure parents have an up-to-date code in place before the September term begins. If your code is still valid on that date, you don’t need to reconfirm until your account tells you to – even if that’s a couple of weeks into September.

As long as your code was issued and valid by 31 August, your child’s place will be funded from September including increased hours. You just need to make sure you do reconfirm by your personal deadline (in your case 14 September) so that the code stays active for the following term.

Hi @Jadetheobscure1989 Eligibility is based on your expected earnings for the current tax year, not your previous year’s income. When you apply, HMRC asks you to confirm what you expect to earn in the coming year, and whether you’ll stay within the thresholds (at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at minimum wage, and under £100,000 per year adjusted net income per parent).

If you’ve reduced your adjusted net income – for example through pension contributions or other allowances – and that brings you under the £100,000 maximum threshold, then you can be eligible for 30 hours. The system doesn’t look back at your past year’s earnings, it’s based on what you declare for the tax year ahead.

Yes - you may still be able to get support @RedTreeGreenTree. For 30 hours funded childcare, the usual rule is that both parents need to be working, or a single parent in a lone-parent household. But there are exceptions:

However, if one parent can’t work because of disability, caring responsibilities, or receiving certain benefits, the household can still meet the eligibility criteria. 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

The working parent must meet the minimum work hours (16 hours a week at least the minimum wage).

It’s worth checking your eligibility on the Childcare Choices website and speaking to your local authority or nursery. They can advise exactly what evidence is needed and how to claim the funding given your circumstances.

You can also combine this with Tax-Free Childcare to help cover any extra hours beyond the funded entitlement.

Hi @Harishrock To be eligible for the 30 hours for working parents, parents usually need to have access to public funds. This means families where both parents are on visas with a “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) condition - including most skilled worker visas - aren’t currently eligible. For more information, you can find out more on Childcare Choices.

Thanks for the context @TearsForFears25 - you’re definitely on the right track! Let’s break it down step by step so it’s easier to follow:

1. Funding calculation:

Your child is entitled to 22.8 funded hours a week, and attends 3 days a week.

Each day is longer than the funded hours, so the hours over the funded entitlement are what you pay for.

If you’ve worked out 8.7 extra hours per week and the nursery’s funded hourly rate is £6.66, multiplying 8.7 × £6.66 gives roughly £57.94 per week.

1. Spreading over the year:

The nursery spreads fees over 50 weeks and collects in 12 monthly payments, so £57.94 × 50 ÷ 12 ≈ £241.41 per month. ✅ This is exactly how your nursery has suggested to calculate it.

1. Additional costs:

Consumables or extras (like snacks, crafts) are separate. £8 per day × ~12 days per month = roughly £100.

1. Tax-Free Childcare:

Once your monthly nursery bill is final, you can use Tax-Free Childcare to reduce what you pay yourself. That comes on top of the calculation above.

So yes — your maths is correct! You’ve done a great job. If you have any other questions, your provider should be willing to talk through the way you are charged with you.

You can use your funded hours until the term your child starts in a full-time state reception class. You can find more information about wraparound childcare and Breakfast Clubs for school-aged children on the Childcare Choices website.

Tax-Free Childcare is separate. You can continue to use it to help pay for any registered childcare, including wraparound childcare, or holiday clubs, as long as your child is under 12 (or under 17 if they are disabled). Hope that helps @Sunnycovebeach!

It really depends on what works best for your family @onlymethen - there’s no “better” for everyone.

Childminders often offer more flexibility with days and hours, so you might be able to spread the funded hours over more days or fit around your work schedule.

Nurseries usually have set hours and term times, but they can offer more structured activities and socialisation with other children.

Funding works the same way for both — your entitlement is in hours, not days — so how you use them depends on what the setting can accommodate. Some parents prefer a mix: a childminder for flexibility and a nursery for structured learning.

It’s worth comparing your options and visiting settings to see what suits your child and your schedule.

Hi @littleorangefox, the 15 and 30 hours childcare only applies to families in England. For more information and guidance on childcare support in Scotland, your best bet is visiting the Parent Club website, run by the Scottish Government.

Yes @Hagr1d - the rules allow for exceptions like this. For 30 hours funded childcare, if one parent can’t work because of disability, caring responsibilities (including caring for someone elderly), and they are receiving certain benefits like Carer’s Allowance, the household can still meet the eligibility criteria.

The working parent just needs to meet the minimum income criteria (at least 16 hours per week at national minimum/ living wage).

If you're still unsure, it’s best to check through the Childcare Service so they can confirm what evidence they need for your situation. You can also combine the 30 hours with Tax-Free Childcare if you need extra support for additional hours.

Can’t thank you enough for your help! Super clear too 🧡

Thank you for the opportunity to ask many much needed questions! I am planning to set up as a childminder. I understand it is possible to split funding between a childminder and a nursery if a child were to attend two settings? Are you able to confirm this and give a brief outline of how applying for this works- although I expect this may be dependent on your local authority. Many thanks!

Thanks. I'm aware it only applies to England. Just wondered if you were going to have a similar thread dedicated to answering questions regarding childcare funding in Scotland.