Can I get free childcare and help with nursery fees?

If you are a parent keen to get free childcare hours, this article details what help with nursery fees you can get including free childcare for working parents and benefits such as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit.

At a glance

• As a parent in the UK, you can get help with nursery fees through funded childcare hours, Tax-Free Childcare, and Universal Credit.
• England offers working parents of children aged nine months to school age 15-30 free childcare hours per week. Scotland provides 1,140 funded hours for 3-4-year-olds and some 2-year-olds, Wales offers 10–30 hours depending on eligibility. Northern Ireland provides 12.5 funded hours for 3-4-year-olds.
• Nursery fees differ across the UK with lower costs in England due to expanded free childcare.
• Extra financial support is available for childcare fees via Tax-Free Childcare and also Universal Credit, which can cover up to 85% of childcare costs.

Am I eligible for free childcare?

Below is listed the funded childcare offers available in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What is the cost of UK nursery fees?

• The amount of childcare funding that parents receive is very different across England, Scotland and Wales. It would not be accurate to calculate an average nursery fee for the whole of the UK.
• Fees data highlighted in this article comes from the charity Coram’s Childcare Survey 2026.

How much is part-time nursery in England?

• The average cost of a part-time nursery place (25 hours a week) for a child under 2 in England (who is not eligible for 30 hours a week funding) is £188.75 a week.
• Parents eligible for 30 hours a week funding in England who are only using 25 hours per week at nursery for a child under 2, will receive free childcare and will not pay any hours during term time.
• There may still be charges such as deposits (which must be refundable) or for consumables or activities (which must be voluntary).
• The average cost of a part-time (25 hours a week) nursery place for a two-year-old (who is not eligible for any funding) is £174.85. Families only using 25 hours per week will not pay for any hours during term time if they are eligible for this government funding.
• The average cost of a part-time (25 hours a week) nursery place for a child aged three or four-year-old in England (including the 15 hour universal entitlement with parents paying for 10 hours) is £67.20.

How much are full-time nursery fees in England?

• The average cost of a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place for a child aged under two is £148.82 with 30 hours a week funding (parents pay for 20 hours a week).
• The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a two year old is £140.72 a week with 30 hours a week funding (parents pay for 20 hours a week).
• For a 50 hour-a-week nursery place, the average cost of a three-or four-year-old child in England is £132.72 a week for parents eligible for funding. Parents pay for 20 hours.

What are England’s free childcare hours?

• Since September 2025, working parents in England have been able to claim 30 hours free childcare per week for a child who reaches nine months old until they start school.

• Prior to this, all parents and guardians of three to four-year-olds (regardless of their income) were already entitled to 15 hours free childcare a week.

• Childcare support is for 38 weeks a year (same as school term-time). You can apply for the free childcare hours online via the gov.uk website. To find out if you qualify, read about the 30 hours offer in England.

15 hours free childcare in England for disadvantaged two-year-olds

Disadvantaged two-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours free childcare a week in term time for 38 weeks of the year. (This is 570 hours a year of free childcare or early education). 

How much is a part-time nursery place in Scotland?

• The average cost of a part-time (25 hours a week) nursery place for a child under 2 in Scotland is £133.08 a week. There are no funded entitlements for children aged under two in Scotland.  
• The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a two-year-old in Scotland is £133.30 without any entitlement and parents paying for 25 hours a week.
• In Scotland, there is no cost to parents for a part-time nursery place for three or and four-year-olds. This is because this is covered by the 1,140-hour per year funding entitlement.

How much are full-time nursery fees in Scotland?

• The average cost of a full-time (50 hours a week) nursery place for a child under 2 in Scotland is £259.10 a week.
• The cost of a full-time nursery place for a two-year-old in Scotland is on average £259.68 a week.
• A full-time nursery place in Scotland for a three or four year old is on average £112.33 a week. This is with 1,140 funded hours a year entitlement and parents paying for 20 hours a week.

What are Scotland’s free childcare hours?

1,140 hours a year (30 hours a week) universal free childcare for 3-4 year-olds in Scotland

• In Scotland, all three and four-year-olds can receive up to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare a year. This is around 30 hours a week in term time. 
• What type of provider is eligible, and when and where you take your free hours, varies by local authority. Visit your Scottish council’s website to find out what is available locally.

16 or 30 hours free childcare in Scotland for disadvantaged two-year-olds

• Some two-year-olds in Scotland can get up to 16 or 30 hours free childcare and early learning a week.
• Whether you are entitled to the funded hours, depends on your child’s or the parent’s circumstances.
• You can read more about Scotland’s offer for disadvantaged two-year-olds and contact your local authority in Scotland.  

How much are part-time nursery fees in Wales?

• The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a child under 2 in Wales is £163.33 a week (25 hours a week). There are no funded entitlements for children aged under two in Wales.
• The cost of a part-time nursery place (25 hours a week) for a two-year-old in Wales who is not eligible for any entitlement means parents will pay on average £166.01 a week.

How much are full-time nursery fees in Wales?

• The average cost of a full-time nursery place (50 hours a week) for a child under 2 in Wales is £325.12 a week.
• The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a two-year-old in Wales is £329.84 a week.
• In Wales, the average cost of a full-time nursery place for three or four-year-old is £134.29 a week, including the Childcare Offer for Wales (paying for 20 hours).

What are Wales’ free childcare hours?

10 hours universal free childcare for 3-4 year-olds in Wales  

• In Wales, parents can benefit from Foundation Phase Nursery (FPN). This is a Welsh government-funded programme available to all children in Wales after their third birthday. It is also referred to as Early Education Entitlement or Funded Early Education.
• It is accessible to your child at a local authority-approved nursery, funded playgroup, childminder or a school.
• If you live in Wales and have a three or four-year-old, your child is entitled to at least 10 hours a week of funded early education during school terms for 48 weeks a year. This is from the start of the term after the child turns three until they enter full-time education.

30 hours free childcare for 3-4 year-olds in Wales

• The Welsh Government’s ‘Childcare Offer for Wales’ provides eligible working parents of three-and four-year-olds with childcare and early education for 30 hours per week for 48 weeks of the year.
• The 30 hours offer is a minimum of 10 hours of early education a week and a maximum of 20 hours a week of childcare.
• To apply for Wales’ 30 hours free childcare offer, contact your childcare provider first. To find a childcare provider, contact your local authority’s Family Information Service.

12.5 hours free childcare in Wales for disadvantaged children  

• Flying Start is a Welsh Government-funded programme. It can help you if you have children aged under 5 living in disadvantaged areas in Wales.
• In some areas of Wales, your child could be entitled to 12.5 hours of free childcare a week. If your child is aged two or three and lives in a disadvantaged area, they may be eligible.
• The Flying Start childcare offer is part-time for 2.5 hours per day, five days a week (term-time) for 39 weeks.
• To be eligible you must live in a Flying Start area. For details, contact your local Family Information Service. 

What are Northern Ireland’s free childcare hours?

12.5 hours universal free childcare for 3-4 year-olds in Northern Ireland

• Northern Ireland does not offer 30 hours a week funded childcare for three and four-year-olds.

• Three and four-year-olds are entitled to a funded pre-school education place in their immediate pre-school year. This is at least 12.5 free hours per week during term time. 
• You can apply to receive 12.5 funded hours a week (475 hours a year). This is available term-time on a full-time or part-time basis.
• The Pre-school Education Programme lets you to apply to receive at least 12.5 hours per week at nursery.  You can find approved childcare providers on the Family Support NI website.
• To apply for a pre-school education place, go to the Education Authority website.

Support for disadvantaged children in Northern Ireland   

• Northern Ireland does not offer 15 hours funded childcare for disadvantaged two-year-olds.
• However, two-year-olds can receive free childcare hours through the Sure Start programme. Sure Start supports parents with children under the age of four living in disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland.

How can I get help with nursery fees? 

To get childcare funding, you must use a registered childcare provider. ‘Approved childcare’ providers that are registered can be:

• A nursery, pre-school, play scheme or children’s centre.
• School.
• Childminder.

You can check if your childcare provider is approved and registered with the country’s regulatory body:

• Northern Ireland regulator – Early Years Teams.
• England regulator – Ofsted.
• Wales regulator – Care Inspectorate Wales.
• Scotland regulator – Care Inspectorate.

What is Tax-Free Childcare?

As well as getting free childcare hours, parents can benefit from Tax-free Childcare. This government scheme was launched to replace childcare vouchers in the UK. 

• For every £8 you spend on childcare, the government pays an extra £2 (up to the value of £2,000) per child per year. If you child has a disability they will pay up to £4,000 per child.
• You can get up to £500 every three months for each child (or £1,000 if your child has a disability).

You must set up a childcare account online which is used to pay your childcare provider. You pay into the online Tax-Free Childcare account and the UK government makes the top-up payment.

To apply for Tax-free childcare, click here 

Can I get Childcare Vouchers?

• The UK’s childcare voucher scheme was scrapped for new joiners from 4 October 2018. It was replaced by the Tax-Free Childcare scheme. 
• Working parents gave some of their salary, in exchange for childcare vouchers from their employer to pay towards childcare costs. The vouchers apply for children aged 15 or under (aged 16 if disabled).
• You can take up to £55 a week of your wages, which you do not pay tax or National Insurance on.

If you joined a childcare voucher scheme on or before 4 October 2018, you can get vouchers if:

• your wages were adjusted on or before 4 October 2018.
• you stay with the same employer and they continue to run the scheme.
• you do not take an unpaid career break of longer than a year.

What is Universal Credit?  

Working families across the UK with children under 17 can also benefit from claiming Universal Credit to get up to 85% of your childcare costs paid.

The limit on how much childcare parents can claim is:

• £1,071.09 for one child per month.
• £1,836.16 for 2 or more children per month.

1)   Help with a child 

• The child element of Universal Credit helps you with the costs of raising a child.

Child amounts	2025/26 Rates	2026/27 Rates
First child (born prior to 6 April 2017)	339.00	351.88
First child (born on or after 6 April 2017 / Two or more children (where an exception or transitional provision applies)	292.81	303.94

 2)   Help with a disabled child

This benefit can help you with the additional costs of raising a disabled child.

Disabled child additions	Rates 2025/26	Rates 2026/27
Lower rate addition	158.76	164.79
Higher rate addition	495.87	514.71

• If your child is disabled, (for the 2026/27 tax year) you will get £164.79.
• If your child is severely disabled, you will get £514.71. 

3)    Help with childcare costs 

• To be eligible, you must be in paid work or have an offer to start work.
• For couples, both must work to qualify. This is unless they are unable to care for their child due to limited work capabilities or care for a child with severe disabilities.

You can apply for Universal Credit online. To apply for Universal Credit click here 

• To use the Help to Claim service in England and Wales, provided by Citizens Advice click here.
• You can contact the UK government’s free Universal Credit helpline 0800 328 5644. For the Welsh language call: 0800 328 1744.
• To use the Help to Claim service in Scotland click here 
• If you live in Northern Ireland click here 

Now that you know how much childcare costs, you can read nursery reviews and search for nurseries here.

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