Who is eligible for 30 hours free childcare in 2026?

Full answer

The funded childcare scheme in England gives eligible working parents a set number of funded hours per week during term time (commonly expressed as 30 hours over 38 weeks, which can be stretched over more weeks at fewer hours). Eligibility hinges on two tests applied to each parent in the household. The earnings floor: each working parent must expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Living Wage. For 2026/27 the NLW for those aged 21 and over is GBP 12.71 an hour, so 16 hours equates to roughly GBP 203 a week, or about GBP 2,640 over a three-month period. The self-employed and those on variable hours are assessed over a quarter. In a couple, both partners normally need to meet this floor (with exceptions where one is not working but receives certain benefits such as carer's, disability or incapacity benefits). The earnings cap: neither parent can have an adjusted net income of GBP 100,000 or more. This is the same GBP 100,000 figure that triggers the personal allowance taper in the income tax system, and it is a cliff edge - one parent reaching GBP 100,000 removes eligibility entirely. Because pension contributions and gift aid reduce adjusted net income, a parent close to the limit can sometimes stay eligible by increasing pension contributions, which also avoids the 60 percent effective tax band between GBP 100,000 and GBP 125,140. Who this affects: working parents of young children in England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run separate schemes). You must confirm eligibility through the government childcare account and reconfirm each quarter. The exact number of funded hours by child age and the term-time rules are set by the scheme, so check the official childcare service for your child's entitlement. Use the income tax and pension calculators to check whether a pension top-up keeps your adjusted net income under GBP 100,000.

Try the calculator