Fees & funding
How to save money on childcare
Funded hours, Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit and the questions that can bring your nursery bill down.
The short version
- Check your funded hours first.
- Tax-Free Childcare adds £2 for every £8 you pay in.
- You can't have Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit together.
Check your funded hours first
In England, funded hours are usually the biggest saving. Use the Childcare Choices checker to see what applies to you, or read our guide to the 30 hours.
Funded hours, explainedUse Tax-Free Childcare
- £2
- added for every £8 you pay in
- £2,000
- most you can get each year for each child
- £4,000
- yearly limit if your child is disabled
Your provider has to be signed up, so ask first, and confirm your details every 3 months.
If you get Universal Credit
Questions that can lower your bill
Ask them
- How do you apply funded hours?
- What extras would I pay for?
- Could shorter sessions work for my hours?
- Do you offer a sibling discount?
- Do you charge for closure weeks?
- Can I see a written example of my monthly bill?
Compare what's included
Fees vary widely, even within one town. A higher daily rate that includes food and nappies may work out cheaper.
Keep reading
Fees & funding, 5 min readFunded childcare and the 30 hours, explainedWho can get 15 or 30 funded hours in England, how to apply, the deadlines and what nurseries can still charge.
Choosing a nursery, 6 min readWhat to look for in a nurseryHow to compare nurseries before you visit, what to watch for when you're there, and the questions worth asking.
Choosing a nursery, 5 min readHow to read a nursery's Ofsted reportWhat Ofsted's grades mean, how report cards changed in November 2025 and what to look for in a nursery's report.