Childcare Eligibility

Childcare support question

Childcare Eligibility Calculator UK

Use the free Childcare Eligibility Calculator to check a simplified household eligibility estimate, then compare nursery cost and childcare-hours scenarios.

By David Slade, Founder of TallyKind / Software EngineerUpdated 6 Oct 2026
Open childcare eligibility calculatorNursery cost calculator

First-pass check

Work out which support routes to check

Estimate UK childcare eligibility using editable household, work, income, child-count, child-age, and rule-year assumptions.

  • Review child count, child age, work status, household income, and supported rules year.
  • Use notes to see which simplified assumptions affected the result.
  • Move into nursery cost and childcare-hours estimates.
How TallyKind calculators work

Eligibility

Use the result as a first-pass check

UK childcare support can depend on child count, child age, work status, earnings, region, timing, and family circumstances.

The calculator keeps key assumptions visible so you can quickly see whether a scenario looks likely before checking official guidance.

  • Choose the supported rules year where available.
  • Check household income, child count, and work assumptions carefully.
  • Use the result to decide what to confirm next, not as a final entitlement decision.

Next estimate

Turn eligibility into a budget

Eligibility alone does not show the monthly cost. Pair it with nursery day rates, funded hours, meals, discounts, and weeks per year.

The nursery and childcare-hours tools help turn a rule check into a practical weekly and monthly planning estimate.

  • Estimate funded and unfunded hours separately.
  • Model meals, extras, discounts, and holiday weeks.
  • Check official local authority or provider details before acting.

Childcare next steps

Turn eligibility into pounds and hours

Eligibility is only the first question; the monthly cost depends on hours, providers and extras.

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FAQs

Childcare Eligibility Calculator UK FAQs

Is this an official childcare entitlement checker?

No. It is a simplified planning calculator. Confirm eligibility with official government, local authority, or provider guidance.

Does the calculator handle rule changes?

Where supported, the calculator exposes a rules year so you can choose the period you are modelling.

What should I calculate after eligibility?

Use nursery cost and childcare-hours calculators to estimate the weekly cover and monthly household cost.

Use the checker

Check the likely support route

Open the eligibility calculator, then compare the result with nursery fees and childcare-hours tools.