Child Benefit, Tax-Free Childcare and Free Childcare Hours 2026/27: Every Number for UK Parents
Child Benefit is £27.05 a week in 2026/27, the high income charge starts at £60,000, Tax-Free Childcare pays up to £2,000. Every UK figure, with sources.
For 2026/27, Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for the eldest child and £17.90 for each other child, and the High Income Child Benefit Charge claws it back between £60,000 and £80,000. Tax-Free Childcare adds £2 for every £8 up to £2,000 a year per child, England gives working parents 30 free hours a week from 9 months, and the Junior ISA limit is £9,000.
Every April the UK's family benefits, childcare schemes and savings limits change. This page puts the 2026/27 numbers (from 6 April 2026) in one place, each from GOV.UK or the devolved governments, checked on 16 October 2026.
Child Benefit and the High Income Child Benefit Charge
| 2026/27 | |
|---|---|
| Eldest or only child | £27.05 a week |
| Each additional child | £17.90 a week |
| Charge starts at | £60,000 adjusted net income (higher earner) |
| Charge rate | 1% of the benefit for every £200 over £60,000 |
| Benefit fully taken back at | £80,000 |
The charge depends on each person's own income and falls on the higher earner; a plan to base it on household income was dropped at the Autumn Budget 2024. Sources: HMRC, 31 March 2026, GOV.UK: High Income Child Benefit Charge.
Work out your own figure with the Child Benefit calculator.
Tax-Free Childcare
| 2026/27 | |
|---|---|
| Government top-up | £2 for every £8 you pay (20%) |
| Maximum per child | £500 every 3 months, £2,000 a year |
| Disabled child | £1,000 every 3 months, £4,000 a year |
| Age limit | Until the 1 September after the 11th birthday (16 if disabled) |
| Minimum earnings, next 3 months | £2,643.68 (21+), £2,256.80 (18-20), £1,664 (under 18 or apprentice) |
| Maximum income | £100,000 adjusted net income per parent |
The minimum earnings equal 16 hours a week at the minimum wage for 13 weeks. Source: GOV.UK: Tax-Free Childcare. Try the Tax-Free Childcare calculator.
Free childcare hours in each nation
| Nation | What you get | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| England | 30 hours a week, 38 weeks a year | Working parents, child from 9 months to school age (since September 2025) |
| England | 15 hours a week (570 hours a year) | Every 3 and 4 year old, from the term after their 3rd birthday |
| England | 15 hours a week | Some 2 year olds, including families on Universal Credit with take-home income of £15,400 or less |
| Scotland | 1,140 hours a year | Every 3 and 4 year old and eligible 2 year olds, whether or not parents work |
| Wales | Up to 30 hours a week of early education and childcare | Working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, each with gross income of £100,000 or less |
| Northern Ireland | A funded pre-school place of 12.5 to 22.5 hours a week, plus a 15% childcare subsidy for working parents using Tax-Free Childcare | 3-4 year olds; subsidy continues from 1 April 2026 |
Sources: GOV.UK: 30 hours free childcare, GOV.UK: 3 to 4 year olds, mygov.scot, GOV.WALES, Department of Education NI. Check your child with the free childcare hours checker.
Scotland: Scottish Child Payment and Best Start
| Payment (2026-27) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Scottish Child Payment | £28.20 a week per child under 16, for families on Universal Credit or certain other benefits |
| Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment | £796.65 (first child), £398.35 (later children) |
| Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment | £331.95 |
| Best Start Grant School Age Payment | £331.95 |
Sources: mygov.scot: Scottish Child Payment, Scottish Government uprating 2026-27.
Saving for a child
| Account | 2026/27 limit |
|---|---|
| Junior ISA | £9,000 a year, frozen until April 2031 |
| Child Trust Fund | £9,000 a year |
| Adult ISA (for comparison) | £20,000 a year; the cash ISA part falls to £12,000 for under-65s from 6 April 2027 |
The child takes control of a Junior ISA at 16 and can withdraw at 18. Sources: GOV.UK: Junior ISAs, HMRC tax-free savings newsletter. Project yours with the Junior ISA calculator.
Minimum wage from April 2026
| Age | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| 21 and over (National Living Wage) | £12.71 |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 |
| Under 18 and apprentices | £8.00 |
Source: GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage rates.
School rules worth knowing
- Starting school. Most children start reception in the September after their 4th birthday, but school is only compulsory from the 31 December, 31 March or 31 August after the 5th birthday. Parents of summer-born children (born 1 April to 31 August) can ask for them to start reception at 5; the admission authority decides. Source: GOV.UK.
- Leaving. In England young people must stay in education or training until 18. Source: GOV.UK.
- GCSE grades. Grade 4 is a "standard pass" and roughly an old C; grade 5 is a "strong pass". See the GCSE grade converter.
- Which year group? Use the UK school year calculator, or the graduation year calculator for GCSE and A-level years.