In the 2023 Spring Budget, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced a number of measures aimed at helping working parents with the cost of childcare. The new measures included an extension to the government's free childcare support. The changes are being delivered in stages.
As of May 12, 2025, eligible working parents of children who will be 9 months old before the 1st of September can apply for up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week. This could save working parents up to £7,500 per year.
In this article, we summarise when the measures are due to be implemented, who is eligible for the support and how to apply.
What are the changes to free childcare?
Since 2017, eligible working parents with children aged 3 and 4 have qualified for up to 30 hours of free childcare per week. In a bid to help parents of younger children back into the workforce, Hunt launched additional free childcare provisions for eligible parents of children aged from 9 months up to 3 years old, which were introduced in several stages over the last couple of years. It's estimated that around half a million children have already benefited from these changes.
The next phase of extended childcare means that tens of thousands of eligible working parents of children who will be 9 months old before September 1, 2025 can apply for up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week from May 12, 2025.
In the table below, we summarise the existing free childcare support available to working parents, as well as the changes to free childcare support and when the changes are expected to be implemented.
Free childcare support currently available
| Existing Free childcare support | Date implemented |
| 30 hours of free childcare per week for eligible working parents with children aged 3-4 | September 2017 |
| 15 hours of free childcare per week for eligible working parents with children aged 2 | April 2024 |
| 15 hours of free childcare per week for eligible working parents with children aged 9 months - 3 years | September 2024 |
| 30 hours of free childcare per week for eligible working parents with children aged 5 or under (from 9 months old) | September 2025 (applications are now open) |
The free childcare hours can be claimed each week for a maximum of 38 weeks of the year, although if the full 30 hours are not used each week, it may be possible to spread the allowance over 52 weeks of the year.
Who is eligible for free childcare?
To be eligible for free childcare support, the following must apply:
- You must live in England
- Your child must attend (or be due to attend) an approved childcare provider
- You and your partner are both working or are due to start a new job
- You and your partner each expect to earn on average between £120 to £195 per week over the next three months (the exact amount you must earn varies by age and employment status)
- Your adjusted net income (or that of your partner) is not expected to exceed £100,000 in the current tax year
Some exceptions to the eligibility criteria apply but further information is available via the government website. Childcare support schemes may also vary if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Here's what you could get if you're eligible:
- Children aged 3 to 4 years old can receive 30 hours of free childcare
- Children aged 9 months to 2 years old can currently receive 15 hours of free child care per week
- Children aged 9 months to 2 years old can receive 30 hours of free child care per week from September 2025
These funded hours are specifically for parents who are in work but there is limited help available for parents who are not currently working under different schemes. For example, all 3 to 4-year-olds in England can access 15 hours of free childcare a week, even if the parents are not in work.
When can you apply for the 30 hours of free childcare?
You'll still need to follow the process to confirm you're still eligible every 3 months.
If you're yet to apply for free childcare as a working parent, we've outlined when you'll be eligible and when to make an application based on your child's age. You can apply as soon as your child is 23 weeks old based on this criteria:
| Child age: | Deadline to apply for 30 hours of free childcare | 30 hours of childcare can be accessed from: |
| Turning 9 months between April 1st and August 31st | August 31st | September 1st |
| Turning 9 months between September 1st and December 31st | December 31st | January 1st |
| Turning 9 months between January 1st and March 31st | March 31st | April 1st |
How to apply for free childcare
Applications can be made online via the Gov.uk website. You’ll need to make sure you have the following information to hand before starting an application for free childcare:
- Your national insurance number (or unique taxpayer reference if you are self-employed)
- The date you started or are due to start work
- Details of any government support or benefits you receive
- The UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) for your child
Once submitted, it can take up to 7 days to receive a decision. Remember to check whether your chosen childcare provider is able to receive childcare payments from the government.
Once your application has been approved, you’ll get a code to give to your approved childcare provider. Importantly, codes only last for 3 months, so parents applying ahead of time may need to renew their code prior to claiming their place.
You'll need to log-in to your online account to re-confirm your eligibility every three months. A new code will be generated at this point and you'll need to give this to your childcare provider to continue claiming the free hours.
Childcare support for those on Universal Credit
You may be able to claim up to 85% of your childcare costs if you are eligible for Universal Credit. To be eligible, you (and your partner if you live with them) will usually need to either:
- Be working (The number of hours you or your partner work is not relevant)
- Have a job offer
The Universal Credit childcare cap was recently increased to £1,031.88 for one child and £1,768.94 for two children and up. If you or your partner stop working, you must report the change immediately via your Universal Credit login page.
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