UK Tax-Free Childcare & 30 Hours Calculator (free hours, 20% top-up, Universal Credit comparison)

How much will childcare really cost me after the free hours and the 20% top-up?

Enter your childcare hours and rates and each parent's income. You get whether you qualify, the value of the free hours, the Tax-Free Childcare top-up, what you pay each month, and the Universal Credit alternative to compare.

England. Figures for 2025/26 and 2026/27 are built in; check them on GOV.UK. Not advice.

Where do you live?

Tax year

How are the free hours taken?

Minimum wage for the lower earner (£/h, blank = adult rate)

Parent 1

Parent 1 expected earnings this tax year (£)

Parent 1 adjusted net income (£, blank = same as earnings)

Parent 2

Parent 2 expected earnings this tax year (£)

Parent 2 adjusted net income (£, blank = same as earnings)

Child 1

Child 1 age

Child 1 hours a week in childcare

Child 1 hourly rate you pay (£)

Child 1 weeks a year in childcare

Child 1 disabled?

Child 2

Child 2 age

Child 2 hours a week in childcare

Child 2 hourly rate you pay (£)

Child 2 weeks a year in childcare

Child 2 disabled?

Child 3

Child 3 age

Child 3 hours a week in childcare

Child 3 hourly rate you pay (£)

Child 3 weeks a year in childcare

Child 3 disabled?

Fill in the figures, then click Work out my childcare costs.

What it does, and what it leaves to you

Covers: England, up to three children: the 15 and 30 hours of free childcare, the 20% Tax-Free Childcare top-up and its caps, the minimum earnings and £100,000 income tests, and the Universal Credit childcare comparison.
Gives: whether the household qualifies, the cost after free hours, the top-up, what you pay a year and a month, and the £100,000 cliff warning.
Not decided: the quarterly £500 top-up cap timing, the rate your provider funds free hours at, extras and meals, whether your Universal Credit award is large enough, immigration or residence tests, and anything that changed after this was written.

Common questions

How much does Tax-Free Childcare give me?

The government adds 20p for every 80p you pay into your childcare account, up to £2,000 a year per child (£4,000 if the child is disabled). In practice that is £500 a quarter per child, so you pay in up to £8,000 a year to receive the full £2,000.

Who qualifies for Tax-Free Childcare and the 30 hours?

In England, each parent must expect to earn at least 16 hours a week at minimum wage over the next three months (about £2,540 a quarter in 2025/26) and neither may have adjusted net income over £100,000. Parents on statutory leave, some carers and those in the first 12 months of self-employment are exempt from the earnings test.

What are the 30 hours of free childcare?

In England, working parents get 30 hours a week of funded childcare for 38 weeks a year (1,140 hours) for children from 9 months until they start school. All 3 and 4 year olds get 15 hours whether or not their parents work. Some providers stretch the hours over more weeks of the year at fewer hours a week.

Can I get Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare help?

Not for the same costs. Universal Credit repays up to 85% of childcare costs (capped monthly), which is often worth more than the 20% Tax-Free Childcare top-up. If you are on Universal Credit, compare both before choosing.

What happens at £100,000?

If either parent's adjusted net income goes over £100,000 the household loses the 30 hours and Tax-Free Childcare entirely, not just part of it. A pension contribution or Gift Aid donation can bring adjusted net income back under.

Does this work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?

Tax-Free Childcare applies across the UK, but free childcare hours differ by nation, so this calculator models England only.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent.