30 hours funded childcare: a plain-English guide for working parents
The 30 hours offer is one of the biggest helps with nursery costs in England, but the rules around eligibility, codes and term dates can feel confusing. This guide covers who qualifies, how to apply and the dates that catch people out.
9 months
Youngest age for working parent hours
38 weeks
Standard funded weeks a year
Every 3 months
How often you reconfirm
In this guide
Who can get 30 hours?
In England, working parents of children from 9 months old up to school age can usually claim up to 30 hours a week of funded childcare for 38 weeks of the year.
You (and your partner, if you have one) typically need to each expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage over the next three months, and each earn less than £100,000 adjusted net income a year.
- Your child is at least 9 months old and not yet in reception
- You and any partner are both working (or on parental, sick or annual leave)
- Each of you meets the minimum earnings threshold
- Neither of you earns over £100,000 adjusted net income
- You live in England (Scotland, Wales and NI run different schemes)
How the hours actually work
The funding is paid directly to your nursery or childminder, not to you. Most providers offer 30 hours across 38 term-time weeks, but many 'stretch' the hours across more weeks of the year (around 22–23 hours a week over 51 weeks).
Funding covers the cost of care itself. Providers may ask you to pay for optional extras such as meals, nappies or trips, but these must be genuinely optional or you must be offered an alternative.
How to apply
Apply through the Childcare Choices website on GOV.UK. If you're eligible, you'll get an 11-digit code to give to your provider along with your National Insurance number and your child's date of birth.
- Apply up to 16 weeks before your child reaches the eligible age
- Get your code before the end of the term before you want to start
- Give your code to your provider as soon as possible
- Reconfirm your details every 3 months in your childcare account
Key dates to know
Funding starts the term after your child becomes eligible, usually from 1 January, 1 April or 1 September. Applying early gives your nursery time to check your code and plan your place.
If you miss a reconfirmation, your code can lapse and you may enter a 'grace period' before funding stops, so set a reminder.
Questions parents often ask
Can I split my hours between a nursery and a childminder?
Yes. You can usually split funded hours across up to two providers in a day, as long as both offer funded places. Give each one your code.
What happens if I go on maternity leave with another baby?
You still count as working while on maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave, so you keep the hours for your older child. Keep reconfirming every 3 months.
Do I get funding in the school holidays?
The funding covers 38 weeks. If your nursery stretches the hours over the year, you get fewer hours each week but they continue through the holidays.
What if I miss my reconfirmation?
Your code may go into a grace period and then stop. Reconfirm as soon as you can and tell your nursery.