30 Hours Free Childcare Income Checker

This checker tests 30 hours free childcare eligibility income rules for working parents in England in the 2026/27 tax year. Enter each parent's hours, hourly pay and adjusted net income, and it applies both money tests, the minimum earnings over the next 3 months and the £100,000 limit, then shows the term your child's free hours can start.

Quick answer: for 30 hours free childcare eligibility, income must reach at least £2,643.68 over the next 3 months for each parent aged 21 or over, which is 16 hours a week at the £12.71 National Living Wage. Neither parent can expect adjusted net income above £100,000 in the tax year.

What Is the 30 Hours Free Childcare Income Test?

The 30 hours free childcare income test is a pair of earnings rules that decide whether working parents in England can get 30 hours a week of funded childcare for 38 weeks a year, for children from 9 months old to school age. The formula in plain words: weekly hours × hourly pay × 13 weeks must be at least the 3 month minimum for your age band, and your adjusted net income for the year must be £100,000 or less.

For 30 hours free childcare eligibility, both parents in a couple must pass on their own, so one high earner cannot cover a partner who works only a few hours. The figures come from the GOV.UK page where you check you're eligible for free childcare if you're working, and they rise each April with the minimum wage. Self-employed parents in their first 12 months of trading are exempt from the minimum.

How to Use the 30 Hours Free Childcare Income Checker

Step 1: Choose Your Household

Pick single parent or couple. Choose couple if you live with a partner, because their earnings and income are tested as well as yours.

Step 2: Enter Earnings and Income for Each Parent

Choose each parent's age band and work status, then type the hours a week you expect to work over the next 3 months, your hourly pay and your expected adjusted net income for the tax year. If you are paid a salary, the hourly to annual salary calculator converts it to an hourly rate, and if your pay varies, use a fair average. Every figure feeds both parts of the 30 hours free childcare eligibility test.

Step 3: Add Your Child's Date of Birth

Enter the date of birth, or the due date if your baby has not arrived. The checker finds the date your child turns 9 months old and the term start that follows it.

Step 4: Read Your 30 Hours Free Childcare Eligibility Result

The large date is the first day the 30 hours can start. The tiles show each parent's 3 month earnings against the minimum, the headroom under £100,000 and the last day to apply. If a test fails, the box explains why, including how many extra hours a week would close the gap.

What Is the Minimum Income for 30 Hours Free Childcare?

The minimum income for 30 hours free childcare is £2,643.68 over 3 months for a parent aged 21 or over in 2026/27, equal to £203.36 a week. Worked example: Leah works 20 hours a week at £13.50 in a pharmacy, so she expects £3,510 over the next 3 months, clear of the minimum. Her partner Sam earns £18 an hour for 37.5 hours, and their adjusted net incomes are £38,000 and £52,000. Their daughter was born on 10 March 2026, turns 9 months on 10 December 2026, and can start her 30 hours on 1 January 2027 if they apply by 31 December.

Parent's age	Minimum wage from April 2026	Weekly minimum (16 hours)	Minimum over 3 months
21 or over	£12.71	£203.36	£2,643.68
18 to 20	£10.85	£173.60	£2,256.80
Under 18 or apprentice	£8.00	£128.00	£1,664.00

Part time parents are most at risk of falling short. Someone aged 21 or over on £12.71 an hour needs 16 hours a week; at 12 hours they fall £660.92 short over 3 months. The pro rata salary calculator helps you see what a few extra contracted hours would mean for your annual pay.

What Is the Income Limit for 30 Hours Free Childcare?

The income limit is £100,000 of adjusted net income for each parent in the current tax year. If either parent expects to go over it, the family cannot get the 30 hours. Adjusted net income is your taxable income minus certain reliefs, and the HMRC guidance on how adjusted net income is worked out explains each step, including how personal pension and Gift Aid payments are grossed up before they are deducted.

That deduction can bring a parent back under the line. A parent earning £104,000 who pays £4,000 into a personal pension, which counts as £5,000 once grossed up at £1.25 per £1, has adjusted net income of £99,000 and passes the test, assuming no other income or reliefs.

Who Is Exempt from the Minimum Earnings Rule?

• New self-employed parents: if you have been self-employed for less than 12 months, you can earn below the minimum.
• Parents on leave: maternity, paternity, adoption, sick or annual leave still counts as working; the maternity pay calculator shows what you will be paid while you are off.
• Carers and disabled parents: if your partner works, you may still qualify while on carer's leave or receiving Carer's Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, contribution-based ESA, National Insurance credits or the carer or limited capability for work element of Universal Credit.
• More than one job: earnings from all your jobs are added together for the minimum.

When Can I Apply for 30 Hours Free Childcare?

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old, and the hours start in the term after they turn 9 months. The official GOV.UK timetable for when to apply sets three start dates: 1 January for 9 month birthdays from 1 September to 31 December, 1 April for 1 January to 31 March, and 1 September for 1 April to 31 August. Apply by the day before the start date, then reconfirm your details every 3 months.

Results from this 30 hours free childcare eligibility checker are estimates; your GOV.UK application gives the final decision. Figures checked October 2026 against GOV.UK for 2026/27.

Frequently Asked Questions