# Nursery Funded Hours Extra Fees UK — Meals & Your Rights | Clever Mum

> What English nurseries can legally charge on top of 15/30 funded hours — meals, nappies, trips — and when mandatory extras mean contact your council.

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#  Nursery Extras on Funded Hours: What UK Providers Can Charge 

   [ CD ](/authors/claire-dunn/)  
 By [ Claire Dunn ](/authors/claire-dunn/) · Money & Deals Editor 

 
 Published 11 August 2026  

         
 
Quick answer — Can a nursery refuse a funded place if I will not pay for lunches? 

 
In England, 15/30 funded hours must be free at the point of access — providers cannot make mandatory extras a condition of the free place. They may ask for voluntary payments for meals, nappies, sun cream or trips, but must offer a reasonable alternative (for example you bring your own). If a nursery refuses a free-hours-only option, contact your local council.

    
Who should skip this

 
Skip this if you are not using funded hours. Skip the 15/30 eligibility tools if you already know you qualify and only have a fees dispute.

    
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“Free childcare” invoices confuse everyone. The funded hours are free. The extras are where settings test what parents will absorb. DfE statutory guidance (updated after the February 2025 High Court clarification) is clearer than nursery Facebook myth.

## What must be free?

**The entitlement hours themselves.** Government funding is meant to deliver 15 or 30 hours of free early education/childcare. There must **not** be mandatory charges that block access to those hours.

## What can nurseries ask you to pay for?

Providers **may** charge for extras that funding is not meant to cover — **if charges are voluntary** and alternatives exist:

ExtraAllowed as voluntary charge?Alternative if you opt outMeals / snacksYesYou provide a packed lunch / snacksNappies, wipes, sun creamYesYou supply your ownTrips / celebrations / optional clubsYesChild does not attend that optional activityExtra hours beyond entitlementYesOnly pay for hours you bookMandatory “consumables fee” to unlock free hours**No**Raise with the provider, then the council
Transparency rules tighten further: providers are expected to **publish extras costs** and issue **itemised invoices** (DfE timing pointed at January 2026). Ask for the written extras policy before you accept a place.

## What should you do if extras are “compulsory”?

* Ask for the charging policy in writing.
* Request the free-hours-only alternative (your own food/nappies).
* If refused, contact your local authority Family Information Service / early years funding team.
* Do not sign a contract that ties free hours to a paid package you did not agree to.

Pair this with our [childcare funding tools hub](/family/childcare-funding-uk-tools-15-30-hours) for codes, Tax-Free Childcare and the GOV.UK calculator.

## Can Tax-Free Childcare pay nursery extras?

**Often yes**, for approved childcare costs billed by a signed-up provider — including some extras and additional hours — subject to the scheme rules. It cannot fix an illegal mandatory charge on free hours; that is a council issue.

If you supply your own nappies at nursery, bulk deals help — supermarket baby events first, or tagged Amazon options like [Pampers Baby-Dry](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=pampers+baby-dry+nappies&tag=clevermum0c-21) and [sensitive baby wipes](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=amazon+sensitive+baby+wipes&tag=clevermum0c-21) when you need a top-up delivery. Check live prices on Amazon before buying.

## What do UK parents actually say about this?

**The parents who keep bills lowest ask for the extras menu before deposit day.** Threads regularly show “£45/week consumables fee or no funded place” offers — and equally regularly show councils confirming that structure is not how the entitlement is meant to work.

## Who should skip signing today?

**Skip signing if** free hours are only offered inside a compulsory extras package, invoices are not itemised, or the setting will not allow you to provide meals/nappies. Get the policy in writing first.

**What we’d change:** stop calling every nursery invoice line “the cost of free hours”. Separate entitlement hours from optional extras every time.

   
## What questions come up most?

    Can a nursery refuse a funded place if I will not pay for lunches?   
 They should offer a reasonable alternative such as you providing food. Funded hours must remain accessible without mandatory charges. If they refuse, contact your local council. 

   Are consumables fees illegal?   
 Voluntary, clearly itemised charges for meals or nappies can be lawful. Making those fees compulsory to unlock the free hours is not how the entitlement is meant to work. 

     
## 
Sources & further reading

 
 *  [ Free Childcare for Working Parents — what you will get ](https://www.gov.uk/free-childcare-if-working/what-youll-get)  — GOV.UK 
*  [ Early education and childcare statutory guidance ](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2)  — GOV.UK / DfE 
 
     
## On this page

 
 *  [ 1 What must be free? ](#what-must-be-free) 
*  [ 2 What can nurseries ask you to pay for? ](#what-can-nurseries-ask-you-to-pay-for) 
*  [ 3 What should you do if extras are “compulsory”? ](#what-should-you-do-if-extras-are-compulsory) 
*  [ 4 Can Tax-Free Childcare pay nursery extras? ](#can-tax-free-childcare-pay-nursery-extras) 
*  [ 5 What do UK parents actually say about this? ](#what-do-uk-parents-actually-say-about-this) 
*  [ 6 Who should skip signing today? ](#who-should-skip-signing-today) 
 
   
## At a glance

   Funded hours Must be free to access  Meals/nappies Voluntary charges OK  Mandatory extras Not allowed as a condition  Escalation Local council early years team  Transparency Published prices + itemised invoices     
Our promise

 

Health-adjacent points cite NHS or equivalent guidance. This article is general
            information, not medical advice — see our
[editorial policy](/editorial-policy/).

     
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