Working parents can today apply for 30 hours of free childcare for children aged three and four.

The scheme is available to parents who earn on average at least £120 a week each - equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage.

If you or your partner expect to earn £100,000 or more, you won’t be entitled to the funding, which gives children 1,140 hours in total to use flexibly.

It applies to children who will be three on August 31 and is worth around £5,000 per child. The scheme comes into force from September.

A second government scheme has also been launched to give working parents tax-free childcare. This scheme will eventually replace the current childcare vouchers schemes although parents who are already registered on the vouchers scheme can choose to remain.

Those with children under four on August 31 can now receive a government top-up of £2 for every £8 that they pay into their Tax-Free Childcare account.

All parents of disabled children under 17 years old will also be able to apply for Tax-Free Childcare from today.

Some parents with two-year-olds are entitled for funded places depending on what benefits they receive.

For more information about the free nursery hours or the replacement scheme for childcare vouchers, visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk . The website also allows you to search for participating nurseries and childcare providers.