Help with nursery fees

If you need help with childcare costs including help with nursery fees, you should check out what government help you can get. This includes accessing more affordable childcare that you are entitled to, such as free childcare hours. But bear in mind that it does vary according to the country where you live in the UK.

Can I get help with nursery fees?

Yes you can get help with nursery fees, but you must use a registered childcare provider to be able to claim childcare funding.

‘Approved childcare’ providers that are registered can be:

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

You can check to see if a childcare provider is approved and registered by their country’s regulatory body:

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

Am I eligible for funded childcare hours?

When it comes to help with nursery fees, the free childcare offers available to you from the governments in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are listed below. You can also find out information on how to get Tax-Free Childcare and childcare benefits such as Universal Credit.

How much are nursery fees in the UK?

The government expanded its free childcare scheme in England in 2024 so eligible working parents of children aged from nine months can now access 15 hours of funded childcare.

This has impacted on the cost of average nursery fees for children in England. It has resulted in working parents of children under three in England paying less than half of last year’s cost for a part-time nursery place, according to the charity Coram, which carries out an annual childcare survey.

The amount of childcare funding that parents receive is very different across England, Scotland and Wales so it would not be accurate to calculate an average nursery fee for the whole of the UK.

How much are average part-time nursery fees for a child under 2 in England?

The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a child under 2 in England is now £70.51 a week (25 hours a week). This is £3,666.52 a year. Parents have seen a drop of 56% on the average cost in 2024.

How much are average full-time nursery fees for a child under 2 in England?

The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under 2 in England is now £238.95 a week. This is £12,425.40 a year. Parents have seen a drop of 22% on the average cost in 2024.

How much are average part-time nursery fees for a two-year-old in England?

The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a two-year-old is now £66.34 (25 hours a week). This is £3,449.68 a year.

How much are average full-time nursery fees for a two-year-old in England?

The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a two-year-old is now £225.70 a week. This is £11,736.40 a year.

This data has been gathered by charity Coram in its Childcare Survey 2025.

England free childcare hours

15 hours free childcare

Currently all parents of three to four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours free childcare a week. This is regardless of their income.

Working parents with children from the age of nine months can also apply to receive 15 hours free childcare a week.

30 hours free childcare

Currently working parents and guardians of three and four-year-olds in England can claim the 15 hours free childcare which is universal and also claim an extra 15 hours free childcare for being a working parent. This adds up to 30 hours free childcare a week.

From September 2025, working parents of children from the age of nine months can get 30 hours free childcare per week up to when they start school.

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.

Free childcare hours end when your child starts in reception class (or reaches compulsory school age).

To qualify for the 30 hours offer, parents must work on average a minimum of 16 hours per week at the national living or national minimum wage. Each must earn less than £100,000 a year. If one parent doesn’t work, your child only gets 15 funded childcare hours.

Paid work includes maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and sick leave.

The 30 hours funded childcare is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional services.

If approved, you’ll get a childcare account and an eligibility code for the 30 hours offer. Give this to your childcare provider along with your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth. There’s one application for 30 hours funded childcare and Tax-Free Childcare.

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).

This applies if:

– the child has Special Educational Needs (SEND), is looked after by a local authority, receives Disability Living Allowance or is subject of a kinship or guardianship order

– or the parents/ guardians receive one of these benefits:

Universal Credit and household income is £15,400 per year or less after tax
Tax credits, and household income is £16,190 per year or less after tax
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (payment you receive when you stop qualifying)

How much are average part-time nursery fees for a child under 2 in Scotland?

The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a child under 2 in Scotland is now £122.38 a week (25 hours a week). This is £6,363.76 a year.

How much are average full-time nursery fees for a child under 2 in Scotland?

The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under 2 in Scotland is now £239.78 a week. This is £12,468.56 a year.

How much are average part-time nursery fees for a two-year-old in Scotland?

The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a two-year-old in Scotland is now £124.75 (25 hours a week). This is £6,487 a year.

How much are average full-time nursery fees for a two-year-old in Scotland?

The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a two-year-old in Scotland is now £235.49 a week. This is £12,245.48 a year.

Scotland free childcare hours

30 hours universal free childcare for 3-4 year-olds in Scotland

In Scotland, help with nursery fees is available as all three and four-year-olds can receive up to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare a year (around 30 hours a week) in term time.

The Scottish government offers free childcare for all three and four-year-olds amounting to 1,140 hours per year (30 hours a week 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 either the child’s or your parents’ circumstances as the parent in Scotland.

In Scotland, two-year-olds can receive this childcare offer, if their parents get benefits or the child has experience of care. This includes being looked after by a local council, the subject of a kinship care order, the subject of a guardianship order.

For details contact your local authority in Scotland.

How much are average part-time nursery fees for a child under 2 in Wales?

The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a child under 2 in Wales is now £155.04 a week (25 hours a week). This is £8,062.08 a year.

How much are average full-time nursery fees for a child under 2 in Wales?

The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under 2 in Wales is now £290.06 a week. This is £15,083.12 a year.

How much are average part-time nursery fees for a two-year-old in Wales?

The average cost of a part-time nursery place for a two-year-old in Wales is now £146.15 (25 hours a week). This is £7,599.80 a year.

How much are average full-time nursery fees for a two-year-old in Wales?

The average cost of a full-time nursery place for a two-year-old in Wales is now £279.14 a week. This is £14,515.28 a year.

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 within 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. This can be taken anytime during the year.

The 30 hours offer is made up of a minimum of 10 hours of early education a week and a maximum of 20 hours a week of childcare.

You can get up to 30 hours of combined early education and childcare. They can divide the hours up but at least 10 hours must be used on free early education.

For example, if children access 10 hours of FPN an additional 20 hours of childcare is available. If children access 12.5 hours of FPN, an extra 17.5 hours of childcare is available.

To apply for the 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

In Wales, Flying Start is a Welsh Government-funded programme designed to help you if you have children aged from birth to four-years-old in disadvantaged areas in Wales.

In some areas of Wales, eligible children aged two to three, living in disadvantaged areas, are entitled to 12.5 hours of free childcare a week. You can get part-time childcare for two and three-year-olds – but only in certain postcode areas.

The Flying Start childcare offer is part-time for 2.5 hours per day, five days a week during term-time for 39 weeks. This starts from the term after their second birthday until the term in which they celebrate their third birthday.

To take part in the Flying Start programme, you must live in a Flying Start area.

You can contact your local Family Information Service in Wales for more information.

Northern Ireland free childcare hours

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

In Northern Ireland, all 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 either on a full-time or part-time basis.

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

The Pre-school Education Programme enables you to apply to receive at least 12.5 hours per week at nurseries.

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.

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

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.

To find out about Sure Start, click here

Tax-Free Childcare

As well as taking advantage of free childcare hours, parents can benefit from Tax-free Childcare. This is a government scheme launched to replace childcare vouchers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

For every £8 you spend on childcare, the government will pay 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).

All you have to do is 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

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 received 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. How much you can take depends on the amount you earn and when you joined the scheme.

If you joined a childcare voucher scheme on or before 4 October 2018, you can keep getting 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.

Universal Credit

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

The cap on how much childcare support parents can claim is £1014.63 for one child per month and £1,739.37 per month for two or more children.

1) Help with a child

The child element of Universal Credit helps with the costs of raising a child. You can claim it for all qualifying children born before 6 April 2017.
For the first child you will get £333.33, if they were born before 6 April 2017. You will get £287.92 if they were born or after 6 April 2017. For your second child you will be able to get £287.92.

2) Help with a disabled child

This helps with additional costs of raising a disabled child.
You will get £156.11, if your child is disabled or £487.58 if your child is severely disabled.

3) Help with childcare costs

To be eligible for the childcare cost element, 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

Working Tax Credit

You can also get help with childcare costs thanks to Working Tax Credit. This is offered across the UK, it tops up your earnings if you work and are on a low income. It is being replaced by Universal Credit which most people claim Universal Credit instead.

You can only make a claim for Working Tax Credit if you already get Child Tax Credit.
You could claim the ‘childcare element’ of Working Tax Credit up to £175 a week (1 child) or £300 (2 or more children). But only if you pay for approved childcare.
A couple applying together or are a single parent can claim up to £2,500 a year.

To make a new claim for Working Tax Credit, contact HM Revenue and Customs.

Child Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit is a means-tested benefit available across the UK to help low income parents with the costs of raising a child. This benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit.

It is only possible to make a claim for Child Tax Credit if you already get Working Tax Credit.
You can make a new claim for Child Tax Credit if you or your partner receives the Severe Disability Premium.

Child Tax Credit rates for 2024/25 tax year:

The basic ‘family element’ of child tax credit allows people to claim for up to £545.
For each child, ‘child element’ parents can claim up to £3,455.
For each disabled child, parents can claim up to £4,170 (on top of the ‘child element’). For each severely disabled child, parents can pay up to £1,680 (on top of ‘child element’ and ‘disabled element’).

To claim Child Tax Credit, call HM Revenue and Customs on 0345 300 390.

All the fees data in this article has been gathered by the charity Coram in its Childcare Survey 2025, authored by Lydia Hodges, Sam Shorto, Emma Goddard and Alicia Knights-Toomer