Continue your plan
Useful next calculations
Rates & sourcesfrom Sep 2025 / 2026/27
England funded hours from September 2025: 30 hours a week over 38 weeks for eligible working parents from the term after 9 months, plus 15 universal hours for all 3 and 4 year olds. Tax-Free Childcare is a 20% top-up on remaining qualifying costs, capped at £2,000 a year per child.
| Band / figure | Rate |
|---|---|
| Working parent hours | 30 hrs/wk over 38 weeks |
| Universal 3–4 year old hours | 15 hrs/wk over 38 weeks |
| Stretched 30 hours | ≈21.9 hrs/wk over 52 weeks |
| Tax-Free Childcare | 20% up to £2,000/child |
Source: GOV.UK — Free childcare if you are working — source checked for from Sep 2025 / 2026/27.
When to use this calculator
- When you need a fast estimate before making a bigger decision.
- When you want to compare a few scenarios using the same assumptions.
- When you need a clearer starting point before using a detailed quote or formal document.
- When you want to sanity-check a figure you have seen elsewhere.
A realistic UK planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Child's Age | 9 months to under 2 |
| Childcare Hours Per Week | 40 hours |
| Hourly Rate Charged by Provider (£) | 5% |
| Eligible working parent? (you and partner, if you have one) | Yes — working parent entitlement |
After entering these figures, review funded hours, paid hours and annual cost before tfc together rather than in isolation. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted.
How to read your results
Funded hours
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Paid hours
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Annual cost before TFC
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Value of funded hours
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Tax-Free Childcare
Review this figure alongside your gross income so you can understand deductions before the tax year closes. It is a planning estimate, not a filed return.
Net annual cost
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
From September 2025, eligible working parents in England can get 30 funded childcare hours a week for 38 weeks of the year from the term after their child turns 9 months until school age. All 3 and 4 year olds also keep 15 universal hours a week in term time, whether or not their parents work. This calculator applies those weekly amounts, then lets you take them over 38 term-time weeks or stretch the same annual hours over 52 weeks (30 hours becomes about 21.9 hours a week). Remaining paid hours are costed at the provider rate you enter. Tax-Free Childcare is modelled as a 20% contribution on that remaining cost, capped at £2,000 a year per child, only when you select the working-parent entitlement.
The tool is a budgeting estimate for England, not an eligibility check. Funded hours start the term after the relevant birthday, need a valid 11-digit code, and must be reconfirmed every 3 months. Providers may charge extras and may not offer stretched hours. Check GOV.UK Childcare Choices and your local authority or provider before you rely on a figure.
Common mistakes
- !Using optimistic assumptions without testing a more cautious scenario.
- !Comparing outputs from different tools without checking that the inputs match.
- !Treating the result as a final quote instead of a planning estimate.
- !Rounding inputs too aggressively.
What to do next
- Try at least one more scenario so you can compare a realistic range.
- Use the related calculators below to cross-check the decision from another angle.
- Write down the key outputs from your best scenarios before you decide.
- If the result surprises you, change one input at a time to isolate the driver.
Frequently asked
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