“15 hours free childcare” can mean two different things in England, which is why it confuses people. This page is about the universal offer for 3 and 4-year-olds, which every family can claim whatever their income or work status. The other 15-hour offer, for 2-year-olds whose families get extra support, is covered in free childcare for 2-year-olds. Working families can also add more hours, covered in 30 hours free childcare.
What you get
All 3 and 4-year-olds in England get 570 free hours a year. It is usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year, which is the length of the school year. The hours stop when your child starts in a reception class, or reaches compulsory school age if that is later. Compulsory school age begins the term after a child’s fifth birthday, but most children start reception in the September after they turn 4.
You do not have to claim all the hours. You can also take fewer hours a week over more weeks if your provider offers it. A common example is around 12 hours a week over 48 weeks. The hours cannot be squeezed into fewer than 38 weeks.
When it starts
The hours start from the term after your child turns 3. Terms start on 1 January, 1 April and 1 September.
| Child’s 3rd birthday is between | Free hours can start from |
|---|---|
| 1 January and 31 March | 1 April |
| 1 April and 31 August | 1 September |
| 1 September and 31 December | 1 January |
A child born on 15 February, for example, turns 3 in the spring term and can start the free hours at the start of the summer term, in April.
How to claim
There is no application to HMRC and no eligibility code. Choose a provider that offers funded places, tell them you want to use the universal 15 hours, and take your child’s birth certificate. The provider records the child with the council, which pays the provider. Providers can be nurseries, pre-schools, school nursery classes, maintained nursery schools or childminders on the Early Years Register. A nanny or a relative cannot provide funded hours.
You may be able to split the hours between providers, within limits. Government guidance for councils says sessions should be no longer than 10 hours and that no more than two sites should be used in a single day. A funded place is not guaranteed at any one provider, and providers can choose whether to offer funded places.
Your council’s family information service can tell you which providers in your borough take funded children. Our borough funding pages link to each council.
What the free hours cover
The hours should be free of charge to you. Providers can charge for meals and snacks, nappies and other consumables, optional trips and activities, and any extra hours you choose to buy, provided these charges are voluntary and you can opt out. A provider should not charge top-up fees or make a non-refundable deposit or registration fee a condition of your funded place.
Ask the provider for a written breakdown before your child starts. Councils should make sure providers give you a parental declaration setting out your funded hours, your pattern of attendance and any optional charges you have agreed to, and itemised invoices.
If you also work
If you are a working parent who meets the 30 hours rules, your 3 or 4-year-old can get 30 hours a week in total. The universal 15 hours is the first part, and the working-parent entitlement adds the second 15. If you stop meeting the work rules after a grace period, your child keeps the universal 15 hours.
Related help
- Tax-Free Childcare can help pay for hours you buy on top of the free hours. See Tax-Free Childcare.
- If your child has an education, health and care plan, gets Disability Living Allowance or is eligible for the Early Years Pupil Premium, ask your council and provider about extra funding such as the Disability Access Fund. These are paid to the provider.
Questions
Does everyone get 15 hours of free childcare?
Everyone with a 3 or 4-year-old in England does, from the term after the third birthday. It does not depend on income or whether you work. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different schemes.
What is the difference between 15 hours and 30 hours?
The 15 hours is universal. The 30 hours is for working families and, for children aged 3 and 4, includes those 15 hours plus 15 more. Working families can also claim 30 hours earlier, from the term after their child turns 9 months.
Do I need a code to claim 15 hours for a 3-year-old?
No. A code is only needed for the working-parent hours. For the universal offer, contact the provider and show your child’s birth certificate.
Can I use 15 free hours one day a week?
Government guidance for councils says there is no rule that funded hours must be taken on particular days of the week or at particular times. In practice, each provider decides which patterns of funded sessions it offers and how many places it has, so ask each setting. See questions to ask a nursery.
Can I use the free hours at a school nursery?
Yes. The free hours can be used at maintained nursery schools and school nursery classes as well as private and voluntary settings. A place in a school nursery does not by itself guarantee a place in that school’s reception class, so apply separately for reception.