Get drafted or posted to Faslane, Lossiemouth, St Athan or Aldergrove with a toddler in tow and you'll quickly find the free childcare offer isn't the same as in England. Working families in England get up to 30 funded hours a week from 9 months old. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland offer less for the youngest children, and until now that gap came out of your pocket.

Since 1 September 2026, a new Defence scheme called the UK Nursery Authority (UKNA) pays back the difference.

How It Works

UKNA doesn't find you a nursery place. You pay for childcare as normal through a Tax-Free Childcare account, then claim back the cost of the hours you'd have got free if you were assigned in England.

  • Scotland and Wales: children from 9 months until they turn 3. Up to 30 hours a week, 38 weeks a year.
  • Northern Ireland: children from 9 months until they turn 4. Up to 30 hours a week up to age 3, and up to 17.5 hours a week for 4-year-olds, 38 weeks a year.

Who Qualifies

You need to tick all of these:

  • You're a Regular, or Full-Time Reserve Service on Full Commitment.
  • Your family lives in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
  • Both parents (or you, if you're a single parent) earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage.
  • Neither parent has an adjusted net income over £100,000.
  • Your child is recorded and verified on JPA.
  • You have an active Tax-Free Childcare account for the child, and your nursery accepts payment through it.
  • Your child lives with you at least half the time, unless you're apart for Service reasons.

The Catches

Tax-Free Childcare is non-negotiable. Every claim has to be paid to the nursery through your child's Tax-Free Childcare account first. "Active" means reconfirming your details with HMRC every three months. Miss a reconfirmation and you can't claim, so whoever runs the account needs to stay on top of it, including when the serving parent is away.

It's taxable, but you're covered. HMRC treats UKNA payments as a taxable benefit, so Defence "grosses up" each payment to cover the extra tax and National Insurance. The catch is that the extra income can nudge your overall tax position, which may affect other allowances or childcare schemes. Read the grossing-up leaflet on Discover My Benefits before you claim, especially if your income is close to £100,000.

JPA has to be right. If your child isn't on JPA, or isn't verified, you can't register. Sort it with your unit HR before anything else.

How to Claim

  1. Check your child is recorded and verified on JPA.
  2. Open a Tax-Free Childcare account if you don't have one, and pay your nursery through it.
  3. Go to the UKNA section of Discover My Benefits and read the DIN (search "UK Nursery Authority" on Defnet or Defence Connect).
  4. Fill in and submit the registration form, then wait for confirmation.
  5. Use the claims calculator and submit your claim. Payment arrives within five working days of approval.

What It Means for You

If you're in one of the three nations with a child under 3 (or under 4 in Northern Ireland) and both of you work, this is money you're entitled to. Don't leave it on the table. If you're about to be assigned there, set up Tax-Free Childcare and get JPA squared away before you move, so you can claim from day one.

Questions the guidance doesn't answer can go to the UKNA policy team. Their contact details are on the Discover My Benefits UKNA pages, and the Naval, Army and RAF Families Federations can help too.

Sources

UKNA: How to register for childcare support — Naval Families Federation

News on Defence childcare schemes for September 2026 — RAF Families Federation

Discover My Benefits — MOD