The number of children who can receive up to 30 hours of free childcare a week has been expanded – but some parents say they are being hit with compulsory charges to claim the help
A new review into hidden nursery fees has been called for by the Education Secretary after some parents complained they were being charged to access free Government-funded hours.
The number of children who can receive up to 30 hours of free childcare a week has been expanded – but some parents say they are being hit with compulsory charges to claim the help.
Childcare providers can charge parents extra for things such as meals and snacks, nappies, or extra optional activities.
But these charges must not be mandatory or a condition of accessing a funded place. Councils can take action against childcare providers which are breaking the rules.
Have you been charged to access these free Government-funded hours? Contact webnews@mirror.com
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Nearly three quarters (72%) of parents say they are using savings to cover extra charges, while more than one in four (27%) say cost remains the biggest barrier to accessing childcare. Bridget Phillipson has now written to the independent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and asked it to investigate.
The Government has also launched a new cost of living tool that will help parents locate local childcare. The tool is launching as part of a trial in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset, before a nationwide rollout later this year.
Ms Phillipson said: “I grew up in a family that knew what it meant to count every penny. I am so proud of the crucial difference that 30 hours funded childcare makes to family finances, saving £8,000 a year per child on average.
“The vast majority of nurseries and childminders have been brilliant in helping us deliver, but I will not accept the small minority letting families down and stopping them get what they were promised.”
30 hours free childcare explained
Since September 2025, all eligible families with children aged nine months to four years can access 30 hours of free childcare a week.
If your child is between the age of nine months and two years old, you must be earning the equivalent of the national minimum wage for 16 hours a week, on average, but less than £100,000 a year, to qualify for free childcare.
All parents of three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours free childcare a week as standard, regardless of whether they are in work.
Working parents with children of these ages can claim the full 30 hours if they meet the earnings criteria. The Department for Education (DfE) estimates more than 500,000 families now benefit from funded hours.
