How do I qualify for 30 hours free childcare for a 3-4 year old?

Full answer

Extended free childcare hours schemes have expanded significantly in recent years to cover more age groups, but the core working-parent eligibility test has remained broadly consistent, and understanding both the earnings floor and the income ceiling matters. **The minimum earnings requirement** Each parent in the household (both, if there are two) generally needs to expect to earn at least the equivalent of working 16 hours a week at the National Living Wage over the coming three months -- self-employed parents with more variable income can sometimes average their expected earnings across the year to meet this threshold, rather than needing to hit it every single week. **The £100,000 individual income ceiling** If EITHER parent has individual adjusted net income above £100,000 a year, the household becomes ineligible for the extended free hours, regardless of how low the other parent's income might be -- this is assessed per INDIVIDUAL, not combined household income, so a couple with one very high earner and one low or no earner would not qualify, while two parents each earning £90,000 (combined £180,000) would still qualify, since neither individually exceeds £100,000. **Applying and reconfirming eligibility** Eligible parents apply online through the Childcare Choices service, receiving an eligibility code to give to their chosen childcare provider -- this code must be reconfirmed roughly every three months, and failing to reconfirm in time can result in a temporary loss of the funded hours until reconfirmed, so keeping track of reconfirmation deadlines matters. **How the extended hours build on the universal offer** Most 3 and 4-year-olds in England are entitled to a smaller universal number of free hours regardless of parental work status; the EXTENDED hours discussed here are the additional, larger entitlement specifically for working parents meeting the earnings and income conditions -- younger age groups have their own separate phased entitlements with similar working-parent eligibility tests, which have been rolled out progressively. **Worked example** Both parents in a household work part-time, each earning comfortably above the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Living Wage, and neither individually earns close to £100,000. They apply online, receive a code, and give it to their nursery, unlocking the extended free hours entitlement for their 3-year-old -- they must log back in roughly every three months to reconfirm their continuing eligibility, or risk losing the funded hours temporarily. **What happens if income changes during the year** If a parent's income later rises above £100,000, or falls below the minimum earnings threshold, this affects eligibility from the next reconfirmation point -- eligibility is not locked in permanently once granted, so genuinely significant income changes during the year should be expected to affect the entitlement going forward. **Practical tip** Apply well in advance of when you want the funded hours to start (there is often a processing period), and set a reminder to reconfirm eligibility every three months through the Childcare Choices service, since a missed reconfirmation deadline can temporarily interrupt your funded hours even if you remain genuinely eligible.

Try the calculator

More answers

• Should I use Tax-Free Childcare or childcare vouchers?