How Free Childcare Hours Work

External childcare is such an important aspect of raising a child. Not only is nursery critical for alleviating pressure on you as a parent, but it also provides a number of benefits for your child’s social and educational development. 

However, many parents struggle to cover the costs of childcare, often settling for alternatives such as relying on family members or friends to take care of children. That’s why it’s important to understand what ‘free childcare hours’ are, and how you can access them. 

The free childcare system in the UK

In the UK, working parents are able to access up to 30 hours of free (Government funded) childcare per week for children between the ages of 9 months to 4 years. This can be used to cover nursery fees.

The number of hours you are entitled to varies based on a number of factors, including whether or not you work, how old your child is and how much you earn.

How free childcare hours work

As a parent, you will fall into one of a number of categories which determine the number of hours you’re entitled to for free childcare. Childcare hours can be accessed across all of our Tiddlywinks nursery sites.

15 hours universal

For 3 and 4 year olds, no matter the household income, you’re entitled to 15 hours a week of free childcare. This begins the first term after the child’s third birthday.

30 hours working parents

This applies to working parents who earn at least national minimum wage for 16 hours or more per week (and earn under £100k). They are entitled to up to 30 hours of free childcare hours, assuming the children are between the ages of 9 months and 4 years old.

15 hours working parents

If you’re a working parent (earning minimum wage for at least 16 hours or more per week) with children aged 9 months to 2 years old, you can access 15 hours per week. 

15 hours for 2 year olds (extra support) 

A category for parents of 2 year olds who receive benefits such as income support or universal credit. 

Understanding free childcare hours entitlements

Free childcare entitlements split parents into a number of categories based on income and child age. 

All 3 or 4 year olds are entitled to a minimum of 15 hours per week, no matter the parental income. This will increase to 30 hours if both parents (or the lone parent) are working. 

If your child is 2 years old, and you receive extra income support, you can also access 15 hours per week. 

All of these childcare hours can generally be accessed for 38 weeks of the year (term time), or in some cases, they are spread thinner throughout the year (less hours per week, but for more weeks). 

How to know if you are entitled to 30 hours of free childcare?

To be entitled to 30 hours of free childcare in the UK, you generally need to be a working parent, and your child is aged 9 months to 4 years. 

This means you (and your partner) must earn at least minimum wage for 16 hours per week, and both earn less than £100,000 annually. 

You can also check your eligibility for free childcare for working parents via the UK government website. 

Do both parents have to work to get 30 hours of free childcare?

For dual-parent households, both parents do need to work in order to access the 30 hours of free childcare. To class as a ‘working parent’ under the scheme, you need to work for at least 16 hours per week, earning the minimum wage or more. 

If you’re the sole parent in a family, you can also access 30 hours of free childcare provided you alone meet the working criteria. 

Can you get free childcare if you are on maternity/paternity leave?

If you are on paid maternity or paternity leave, you are able to continue accessing your current free childcare entitlement for children you already have, but you generally cannot start a new claim for the newborn child until your return to work. 

So, if you already have a child who is in childcare using free hours, you can continue to use them. If you are looking to access the hours for a newborn, you likely won’t be able to until you go back to work. 

Can you use free childcare hours while claiming Universal Credit?

Yes, you can use free childcare hours while on universal credit. If your child is from 9 months to 2 years old, you are entitled to 30 hours. 

For 2 year olds, you can access 15 hours whilst on universal credit (if you also earn less than £15,400 per year). 

Finally, for 3 and 4 year olds, anybody on universal credit can access 15 hours, increasing to 30 hours if you also work. 

How free childcare hours work with Tiddlywinks

We can discuss with you how you can use your childcare hours at a Tiddlywinks site.

It is, however, the parents’ responsibility to renew their childcare funding codes every three months. A Funding Declaration Form must be completed when your child starts, and all valid funding codes must be sent to the nursery before funding can be applied

Can you roll over funded childcare hours into the next term?

You generally cannot roll funded childcare hours over into the next term. Funding for hours is allocated on a termly basis, meaning it cannot be accumulated and used further down the line in most cases. 

For more queries or questions regarding free childcare hours, and how you can use them at one of our nurseries, be sure to contact us today!