Funded childcare hours explained

What funded childcare am I entitled to?

There are four separate entitlements running in England. Most parents qualify for at least one, and many qualify for more than one over time as their child gets older.

These are the entitlements as they stand in 2026. Always confirm your own position on GOV.UK before making financial decisions - thresholds are reviewed periodically.

Am I eligible for 30 hours free childcare?

You are likely to qualify if all of the following are true:

• Your child is between nine months and school age
• You (and your partner, if you have one) each earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage - roughly £10,000 a year for someone over 21
• Neither of you expects to earn more than £100,000 in the tax year
• You are both working, or one of you is working and the other receives certain benefits such as Carer's Allowance or Incapacity Benefit

You can still qualify if you are self-employed, on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or starting a new job within the next 31 days. The £100,000 figure is adjusted net income, which is after pension contributions and Gift Aid - so a salary slightly above £100,000 can still qualify once pension contributions are taken into account. This catches a lot of London families out in both directions.

Adjusted net income

Your total taxable income minus pension contributions and Gift Aid donations. This is the figure the £100,000 childcare threshold is tested against - not your gross salary.

What does '38 weeks' actually mean for me?

Funded hours are allocated across 38 weeks - the school year. If you need childcare all year round, most nurseries including ours can stretch the entitlement across 51 weeks instead. Thirty hours over 38 weeks becomes roughly 22 hours a week over 51 weeks.

Same total funding, spread differently. Which is better depends entirely on your working pattern - a teacher usually wants term-time, an NHS shift worker usually wants stretched.

Can I use funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare together?

Yes, and most families should. They are designed to work alongside each other, and using both is the single most common piece of money left on the table by London parents.

Important: you cannot claim Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as Universal Credit childcare costs or the old childcare vouchers scheme. If you are receiving Universal Credit, check which leaves you better off before applying - for many families on Universal Credit, the UC childcare element is worth more.

How do I apply for funded childcare?

1. Create a childcare account on GOV.UK

   Search 'apply for free childcare' on GOV.UK. You will need your National Insurance number, and your partner's if you have one.

2. Get your eligibility code

   The service checks your details and issues an 11-digit code, usually within minutes but occasionally within a few days.

3. Give the code to us

   We validate it directly with the local authority and apply the funding to your invoice from the start of the next funding term.

4. Reconfirm every three months

   This is where families slip up. You must reconfirm your details every three months or the code lapses. Set a recurring reminder - we also prompt you, but the responsibility sits with you.

What would I actually pay at Earnest Care?

Our fees start from £00 per full day, inclusive of meals, nappies and outings. Once funding is applied, most families pay only for hours beyond their entitlement, plus a small consumables charge where the funded rate does not cover the full cost of meals - which we state up front rather than discovering on your first invoice.

Send us your child's age, the days you want and your eligibility status, and we will send back a written breakdown of exactly what you would pay each month. No obligation.

Get a written fee breakdown