Estimate only; eligibility, funded start dates, hours, provider availability and extra charges vary by nation, council, scheme and circumstances.
What Is a Childcare Funding Calculator UK?
A Childcare Funding Calculator UK estimates confirmed funded childcare hours and the cost left for parents. It covers schemes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus custom hours and no funding.
The calculator does not decide whether you qualify. Instead, you select a nation and funding scheme already confirmed for your child, then enter the provider’s hourly rate, booked hours, chargeable weeks and number of children.
Parents may also call this a nursery funding calculator, gov childcare calculator, government childcare calculator or gov uk childcare calculator. This page focuses on valuing funded hours rather than automatically assessing income, employment or the child’s age. Browse other planning tools at Childcare Calculator UK.
How to Use the Childcare Funding Calculator
Select the Nation and Confirmed Scheme
Choose the scheme that matches the child’s confirmed place or entitlement:
- England working-parent entitlement: 1,140 hours a year
- England universal entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds: 570 hours
- England eligible 2-year-old extra-support entitlement: 570 hours
- Scotland funded early learning and childcare: up to 1,140 hours
- Childcare Offer for Wales: up to 1,440 combined hours
- Wales nursery-education estimate: 390 hours
- Northern Ireland typical funded pre-school minimum: 475 hours
- Custom confirmed hours
- No confirmed funded hours
The same selection, hourly rate and schedule are applied to every child entered. Run separate calculations if children have different entitlements.
The options are not an eligibility test. A childcare grant calculator, daycare assistance calculator or help with childcare costs calculator may refer to different support and should not be treated as the same calculation.
Enter the Hourly Childcare Rate
Enter the rate charged by your nursery, childminder or other provider for one child for one hour. The calculator uses this rate to place an indicative value on funded hours.
The government does not necessarily pay the provider the same rate entered by the parent. The displayed funding value is therefore a budgeting estimate, not a statement of the amount paid by a council or government.
For payable nursery fees after confirmed hours are applied, use the Nursery Fees Calculator with Free Hours UK.
Add Booked Hours and Chargeable Weeks
Enter booked hours per week for one child and the number of weeks charged during the year. The calculator multiplies these figures to obtain annual booked hours.
If selected funded hours exceed booked hours, the calculation limits funding to the booked amount. It cannot create a negative childcare cost or carry unused hours into another calculation.
Enter the Number of Children
Add the children receiving the same funding and following the same schedule. The calculator accepts up to 20 children and multiplies gross cost and funding value by that number.
Disability-related support can involve different age limits or additional help that is not captured by this general funded-hours calculation. Review that separately with the Disabled Childcare Allowance Calculator UK.
Use Custom Confirmed Hours When Needed
Choose the custom option when a provider stretches funded hours across more weeks or your confirmed arrangement does not match a preset.
Enter funded hours per week and funded weeks per year. For example, a provider may stretch an annual entitlement by offering fewer funded hours each week across a longer period.
How Is the Funding Estimate Calculated?
Annual booked hours for each child are:
Booked hours per week × Chargeable weeks
Gross annual cost is:
Annual booked hours × Hourly rate × Number of children
The selected scheme supplies a maximum annual funded-hours figure. The calculator restricts it to annual booked hours when necessary.
Estimated funding value is:
Funded annual hours × Hourly rate × Number of children
Estimated net annual cost is:
Gross annual cost − Estimated funding value
The funding share is the estimated funding value divided by gross annual cost. Monthly and weekly results divide the net annual cost by 12 and 52 respectively.
Funded hours do not necessarily cover meals, nappies, consumables, deposits, optional activities or hours outside the confirmed offer. Tax-Free Childcare is calculated separately; eligible parents can use the Tax-Free Childcare Calculator UK for that account top-up.
Worked Childcare Funding Example
Assume a parent selects England Free Childcare for Working Parents and enters:
- Hourly rate: £8
- Booked hours: 40 per week
- Chargeable weeks: 52
- Number of children: 1
Annual booked hours are:
40 × 52 = 2,080 hours
Gross annual cost is:
2,080 × £8 = £16,640
The selected scheme provides up to 1,140 funded hours:
1,140 × £8 = £9,120 estimated funding value
Estimated net annual cost is:
£16,640 − £9,120 = £7,520
The calculator displays:
- Estimated Net Annual Cost: £7,520
- Gross Annual Cost: £16,640
- Estimated Funding Value: £9,120
- Funded Hours per Child per Year: 1,140 hours
- Funding Share of Gross Cost: 54.8%
- Net Monthly Cost: £626.67
- Average Weekly Net: £144.62
- Net per Child per Year: £7,520
- Unfunded Hours per Child per Year: 940 hours
These results match the calculator code. Actual invoices can differ because of provider charging structures, stretched delivery and extras.
Understanding Different Types of Support
Funded hours are different from a childcare voucher calculator, tax credit childcare calculator or tax credits childcare calculator. Childcare vouchers are generally closed to new applicants, while tax credits have largely been replaced by Universal Credit for new claims.
A universal credit childcare calculator estimates reimbursement of eligible paid childcare costs rather than free-hour value. Use the Universal Credit Childcare Calculator UK for that separate calculation.
Child Benefit is also separate and is not deducted from provider costs here. Estimate it with the Child Benefit Calculator UK.
Families may still use a Childcare Cost Comparison Calculator UK to compare providers, but this page calculates only one funding arrangement at a time.
FAQs
Q1: Does the calculator check eligibility?
A: No. Select only a scheme or custom schedule already confirmed for your child.
Q2: Can I calculate 15 or 30 free hours?
A: Yes. Choose the matching preset or enter a confirmed stretched arrangement under the custom option.
Q3: Are funded-hours rules the same throughout the UK?
A: No. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different schemes and delivery rules. Check the relevant official guidance through GOV.UK.
Q4: Does the estimate include tax-free childcare or Universal Credit?
A: No. Those schemes use different calculations and eligibility conditions.
Q5: Why might my provider invoice be higher?
A: Meals, consumables, extra hours, deposits and optional activities may remain payable, and providers can stretch annual funded hours differently.