Free · No login · Under 3 minutes
Free childcare hours, Tax-Free Childcare, Child Benefit, free school meals, holiday clubs, uniform grants — all in one place. We tell you exactly what you're owed and how to claim it.
Example family · 2 children · both working
£8,340
estimated yearly entitlements
How it works
We ask about your children's ages, your income, your working situation and what you already claim. No names, no exact figures — just enough to calculate your entitlements accurately.
Our tool checks every UK government entitlement against your answers — including the ones most families don't know about, like the pension contribution trick that restores thousands in childcare support.
You get a full breakdown of what you're entitled to, what it's worth in pounds, and a numbered action plan telling you exactly what to apply for first — with direct links to GOV.UK.
What we cover
Free childcare hours
15–30 hours/week for eligible children aged 9 months to school age. The biggest single entitlement for young families.
Up to £7,500/yr per child
Tax-Free Childcare
Government adds 20p for every 80p you pay for childcare. Works alongside free hours, not instead of them.
Up to £2,000/yr per child
Child Benefit
£26.05/week for your first child, £17.25 for each additional child. Plus crucial National Insurance credits for your pension.
£1,354/yr first child
Free school meals
Worth around £480/year per child for qualifying families — and the gateway to holiday clubs and uniform grants.
~£480/yr per child
HAF holiday clubs
Free holiday activity clubs at Easter, Summer and Christmas for FSM-eligible children. Up to 16 days of free provision over summer alone.
Up to £400/yr per child
Uniform grants
Local councils offer £50–£200 per child for school uniform costs. Most parents have never heard of this.
Up to £200/yr per child
Healthy Start vouchers
£8.50/week from the NHS towards food and milk for families with young children on qualifying benefits. Massively underclaimed.
£442/yr
Pension optimisation
If either parent earns close to £100,000, a pension contribution could restore thousands in childcare entitlements. We flag this.
Up to £7,500/yr restored
Who it's for
The childcare system changed dramatically in 2024–25. Between free hours, Tax-Free Childcare, and UC childcare support, most families are missing at least one scheme — and many don't know these can stack together.
Average finding: £5,200/yrFree School Meals unlock the HAF programme and uniform grants that very few families know about. If you're not sure whether you qualify, we check for you — the eligibility rules are more generous than most people think.
Average finding: £900/yrIf either parent earns between £60,000 and £100,000, there are decisions to make about Child Benefit and childcare entitlements that could be worth thousands. Most accountants don't flag the pension contribution trick.
Often £3,000+ in savingsSingle parents face different rules across almost every scheme. We handle the calculations correctly — including the income thresholds that work differently when there's only one earner.
Tailored to your situationQuestions
No. All calculations happen in your browser. Nothing you enter is ever sent to our servers, stored in a database, or shared with anyone. When you close the tab, it's gone. You can verify this yourself — the tool has no login, no account creation, and no email required.
We calculate based on current published government rates and eligibility rules for England (2026/27 tax year). Results are estimates — your exact entitlement depends on circumstances that may be specific to your situation. We always link directly to GOV.UK for the final application so you can verify eligibility before you apply.
Very likely yes. Tax-Free Childcare is available to households where both parents earn under £100,000 each — that's a wide net. Child Benefit is available to all families (the clawback only kicks in above £60,000 and is often worth managing with pension contributions). The 30 hours free childcare is similarly broad. Many families on combined incomes of £120,000+ still have thousands of unclaimed entitlements.
Yes. School age doesn't mean entitlements end — it means they change. Free School Meals, the HAF holiday programme, uniform grants, and continued Child Benefit all kick in or continue at school age. We cover the full journey from 9 months to 20 years.
If either parent has an adjusted net income above £100,000, you lose eligibility for Tax-Free Childcare and the extended free childcare hours — potentially worth £7,500+ per year. But pension contributions reduce your adjusted net income. A contribution of just over the excess above £100,000 can restore full eligibility. We flag this automatically if it applies to you.
No. FamilyEntitled is an independent tool. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK government. We use publicly available government policy to calculate your entitlements and always send you to official GOV.UK pages to apply. All results should be treated as estimates — always verify with the relevant government department before acting.
Guides & articles
Childcare
30 Hours Free Childcare: What It Actually Means for Your Family in 2025
Who qualifies, how to apply, the deadlines you cannot miss, and what "free" actually costs.
Childcare
Tax-Free Childcare vs Universal Credit Childcare: Which Is Worth More?
These two schemes are mutually exclusive. Get the decision wrong and it could cost thousands.
Tax & Childcare
The Pension Contribution Trick That Restores Your Childcare Entitlements
Earning near £100,000? A pension contribution could restore up to £7,500+ a year in childcare support.
School Age
Free School Meals 2026: Who Qualifies and What Else It Unlocks
FSM eligibility is changing in September 2026 — and it unlocks holiday clubs, uniform grants and more.
Benefits
Child Benefit 2026: The HICBC Taper Explained Simply
New rates from April 2026, how the income taper works, and why you should claim even if you pay it all back.
School Age
The HAF Programme: Free Holiday Clubs for Eligible Families
Up to 16 free days over summer for eligible children — and most qualifying families don't know it exists.
Takes under 3 minutes. No login. No data stored. Just a clear picture of every entitlement available to your family — and exactly how to claim them.
Start the check →Free to use · Updated for 2026/27