Early Years
Funding
Childcare Support Checker
Check your eligibility and find the options available to you. Simply visit the 'Best Start in Life' website and enter your details to help find out how you can save money on your childcare.
When to apply
You must have your code before the term starts, and the application deadline depends on when your child becomes eligible. You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old, and the funded hours begin in the term after your child turns 9 months.
What you need to apply
You’ll need your (and your partner’s, if you have one):
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National Insurance number
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Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), if you’re self-employed (if you have a UTR)
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the UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) of any children you’re applying for
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the date you started or are due to start work (this can be approximate if it’s more than 3 months ago)
To apply, you’ll need to set up a childcare account. It usually takes 20 minutes to apply. You’ll usually find out if you’re eligible straight away, but it can take up to 7 days. Once your application has been approved. You’ll get an 11-digit code in your childcare account. HMRC will let you know by text or email that the code is in your account.
Apply here for
free childcare
Sign in to your
account here
Keep Your Code Active
To keep getting Free Childcare for Working Parents you must sign in to your childcare account every 3 months and confirm your details are up to date.
It only takes a few minutes and means:
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Your details stay up to date.
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Your code stays valid.
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You avoid any break in your government-funded hours.
You’ll then get an 11-digit code to give to us your childcare provider. Please send this to our Customer Care Team via notification.
How to use Tax Free Childcare?
You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).
If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider.
You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 15 or 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both.
Tax Free
Childcare