UK childcare costs 2026/27 · Updated October 2026
Nursery fee calculator
Work out what you will pay for nursery each month after funded hours, Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit, for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Estimates for one child. Your nursery’s fees, terms and how it uses funded hours may differ. Sources: GOV.UK, Coram Childcare Survey 2026, NICSS.
How to use the childcare cost calculator
- 1Choose your nation and child’s ageFunded hours depend on where you live, your child’s age and whether you work.
- 2Enter your nursery feesAdd your hourly or daily rate, the days and hours your child attends, and any extra charges.
- 3Check your funded hoursThe calculator fills these in for you. Choose whether your nursery uses them in term time or stretches them over the year.
- 4Add help with costsChoose Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit to see your final monthly cost.
Average nursery costs in the UK (2026)
Nursery fees vary a lot by area and provider. These averages are for a child under 2, before any funded hours or other help.
England, Scotland and Wales figures are from the Coram Childcare Survey 2026. The Northern Ireland figure is the Department of Education’s average for full-time day care, before the childcare subsidy and Tax-Free Childcare.
Funded childcare hours by nation
| Age | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 months to 2 | 30 hours for working parents | – | – | – |
| Aged 2 | 30 hours for working parents, or 15 hours with certain benefits | 1,140 hours a year if eligible | 12.5 hours in Flying Start areas | – |
| Aged 3 to 4 | 15 hours for all, 30 for working parents | 1,140 hours a year for all | 10 hours for all, up to 30 for working parents | About 12.5 hours in the year before P1 |
How to calculate nursery fees with 30 hours free
In England, the 30 hours are for 38 weeks a year, which is 1,140 hours. Many nurseries stretch them across the year, so you get fewer funded hours each week, but every week.
1. Work out your full fees
A 2-year-old attends 3 days a week, 10 hours a day, for 51 weeks at £7.55 an hour. That is £11,552 a year, or £963 a month.
2. Take off your funded hours
1,140 funded hours stretched over 51 weeks is about 22.4 hours a week. That leaves about 7.6 paid hours a week, or £2,945 a year.
3. Add Tax-Free Childcare
Paying through Tax-Free Childcare adds 20%, saving £589 a year. You pay £2,356 a year, or about £196 a month.
Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit?
Tax-Free Childcare
- The government adds £2 for every £8 you pay.
- Up to £2,000 a year per child, or £4,000 if your child is disabled.
- For working parents earning under £100,000 each.
- For children up to age 11, or 16 if disabled.
Universal Credit childcare costs
- Pays back 85% of your childcare costs.
- Up to £1,071.09 a month for one child, or £1,836.16 for two or more.
- For working parents on Universal Credit, whatever hours you work.
- You cannot get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time.
Assumptions behind the calculator
- Costs are for one child. Add each child separately.
- Funded hours run for 38 weeks a year, or 48 weeks for the Wales Childcare Offer. Stretched hours are spread evenly over the weeks you pay for.
- Funded hours cannot be more than the hours your child attends each week.
- Extra charges are added for every day your child attends and are not covered by funded hours.
- Tax-Free Childcare is 20% of your bill, up to £2,000 a year. Universal Credit is 85% of your bill, up to £1,071.09 a month.
- In Northern Ireland, the 15% childcare subsidy is applied before Tax-Free Childcare, up to £203 a month.
- Monthly costs are the yearly total split over 12 months.
- Average hourly rates are based on the Coram Childcare Survey 2026 cost of 25 hours a week for a child under 2.
Frequently asked questions about nursery fees
How do I calculate nursery fees with 30 hours free?
Work out your full weekly fee, then take away the funded hours. In England, 30 hours cover 38 weeks a year, which is 1,140 hours. If your nursery stretches them across the year, you get about 22 funded hours a week for 51 weeks. You pay for any hours above that, plus any extra charges for meals or consumables.
How much does nursery cost in the UK in 2026?
The Coram Childcare Survey 2026 found that a part-time (25 hours) nursery place for a child under 2 costs an average of £188.75 a week in England for families who do not get funded hours, £133.08 in Scotland and £166.33 in Wales.
Who can get 30 hours free childcare in England?
Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years. Each parent must expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage over the next 3 months, and less than £100,000 a year.
How does Tax-Free Childcare work?
For every £8 you pay into your Tax-Free Childcare account, the government adds £2. You can get up to £500 every 3 months for each child, or £1,000 if your child is disabled, up to age 11 (16 if disabled). You use the account to pay a registered childcare provider.
Can I get Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours?
Yes. You can use funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare together. You pay for the hours your funded hours do not cover through your Tax-Free Childcare account and get the 20% top-up.
How much childcare can I claim on Universal Credit?
Universal Credit can pay back 85% of your childcare costs, up to £1,071.09 a month for one child or £1,836.16 for two or more children in 2026/27. You cannot get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time.
Is childcare tax deductible in the UK?
Parents cannot deduct childcare from their income tax. Instead, Tax-Free Childcare adds 20% to what you pay, which works like basic-rate tax relief. Some employers also still run older childcare voucher schemes for staff who joined before October 2018.
Can nurseries charge extra for funded hours?
Funded hours must be free. Nurseries can ask you to pay for extras such as meals, nappies or trips, but these should be optional, and you should not have to pay them to get your funded place.
What is the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme?
It reduces childcare bills by 15%, up to £203 a month per child from April 2026, for working parents who use Tax-Free Childcare and have a child who has not yet started primary school. Your provider must take part in the scheme.