Nursery savings planner

Working out what childcare help you can get, and when it starts, can be complicated. Use this planner to see your nursery costs over time, until your child starts school.

About you
£

Why we need this: 30 funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare depend on both parents working and neither earning over £100,000.

Your children

1Child 1

Born (or due)
Starts nursery
If they're already at nursery, pick when they started.
Nursery days a week
£
The full fee before any funded hours. If you don’t know it yet, use an estimate.
Your plan

The Workplace Nursery benefit could save you £8,187 more than Tax-Free Childcare.

From April 2027 to August 2030 (3 years 5 months). Full fees over this time: £73,800.

Workplace Nursery benefit

Saves more
£15,020
saved on top of funded hours
Funded hours
£28,969
Total saving
£43,990
You’d pay in total
£29,810

Tax-Free Childcare

£6,833
saved on top of funded hours
Funded hours
£28,969
Total saving
£35,803
You’d pay in total
£37,997

What you’d pay each month

Total for all your children, after funded hours and your chosen scheme.

Full feesTax-Free ChildcareWorkplace Nursery benefit
£0£500£1k£1.5k£2kApr 2027202820292030
1
Nursery from Apr 202730 funded hours from Sept 2027Starts school Sept 2030

Year by year

Nursery years run September to August. The last two columns show what each scheme saves.

YearFull feesFunded hoursWorkplace NurseryTax-Free Childcare
2026/27£9,000£0£2,569£833
2027/28£21,600£9,656£4,150£2,000
2028/29£21,600£9,656£4,150£2,000
2029/30£21,600£9,656£4,150£2,000
Total£73,800£28,969£15,020£6,833

How this works

  • Working parents can get 30 funded hours a week from the term after their child turns 9 months. Every child gets 15 funded hours from the term after they turn 3. Terms start in January, April and September.
  • Funded hours end when your child starts school, in the September after they turn 4.
  • The Workplace Nursery benefit and Tax-Free Childcare apply to what’s left of the bill after funded hours. You can’t use both for the same fees.

This planner gives estimates only and isn't financial or tax advice. Your actual saving will depend on your circumstances. If you're unsure which option is right for you, speak to a qualified financial adviser.

Funded hours are for England. We assume your nursery opens 10 hours a day for 51 weeks a year and spreads funded hours across the year (30 hours over 38 weeks is about 22 hours a week). Many nurseries charge for meals and extras on funded hours, so your bill may not fall by as much as shown.

Tax uses 2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and assumes your salary is your only income and stays the same. Fees are shown at today's prices. Workplace Nursery benefit savings are based on Gogeta's scheme and are shown after all costs. Savings with other providers may differ. If paying your whole bill this way would take your pay below full-time National Living Wage (37.5 hours a week at £12.71), we only count the part you could pay.

Tax-Free Childcare: the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in, up to £2,000 per child per year (£500 every three months). Both parents must be working and meet minimum earnings rules.

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