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How to find ancestors for free

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How to find your ancestors for FREE

Get started with your ancestry by trying these easy steps:

1. Get a notebook and start jotting down what you know about your family (your name, birthday and birth place; then do the same for your parents and then your grandparents).

The notebook can be paper or digital (the main point is that you get into the habit of writing it all down. You won’t regret this!).

• Write all the details down.
• Jot down any family memories anecdotes you know of.
• In addition, make a note of any questions about your family that you would like to find the answers to.

2. Start filling in a simple family tree, using the clues you have added to your notebook. Download FREE printable family tree charts from the Family History Workbook for Beginners ’ resources web page: www.family-tree.co.uk/information/fhwfb (What? You're giving away free printable family tree charts? Yes we are because we're nice like that - enjoy your genealogy 😉 ).

3. Sign up to a tree-building website to start creating an online family tree.

You'll need to register with the website you choose and will then  be able to grow your tree online free of charge.

The following websites are just some of those that provide free online tree-building tools:

• Ancestry.co.uk
• FamilySearch.org.uk
• Findmypast.co.uk
• MyHeritage.com
• TreeView.co.uk from TheGenealogist.co.uk

How do family tree websites work?

The websites we’ve just listed are linked to subscription services. This means that to view original records and limited-access databases you may have to subscribe (pay) to the relevant site.

That said, FamilySearch is slightly different: it is a completely free site, it does work with partners, some of whom charge for access to their full records.

Discover the golden rule of genealogy

Before we go any further, here’s a golden rule that you’ll be so pleased you learned!

Start with what you DO know, and work BACKWARDS in time, carefully linking each piece of information.

A golden rule when starting family history is to begin with yourself…

…then note down what you know about your parents and grandparents …and work backwards in time.

Ask your family members what they know too. They may know names and dates you don’t, and may have stories and photos to share. 

Why is it important to do this? It's important, to help ensure that every piece of information you add to your family tree really is about your family, and not just a branch of people that looks roughly like your family.

Which FREE genealogy websites are good to search?

Many people want to trace their family tree for free and this can be a really good idea, particularly when you’re just starting out.

Luckily there are some excellent websites and online resources to help. The sites listed below won’t cost you a penny.

Family Tree Plus: www.family-tree.co.uk/membership

You can take a seven-day free trial of our popular online community - no credit card details needed, no obligation to stay – and enjoy expert videos and a searchable library of Family Tree magazine. Sign up for a free trial here and be sure to tick the box to receive the Family Tree newsletter for even more friendly advice. 

Some of the following websites have records for you to search for clues, some have an online tree building tool, and some have useful information, guides and web links.

FreeBMD: www.freebmd.org.uk

This website provides a searchable index to birth, marriage and death records for England and Wales. 

GRO: www.gro.gov.uk

You can also search for ancestors’ birth and death index entries at www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp (this is also the site from which you order birth, marriage and death certificates for England and Wales, charges apply for the certificates).

Why do you want to order a birth, marriage or death certificate for family history?

Birth, marriage and death records (sometimes known as 'BMD') are kept by governments to provide a record of the population and to help identify each individual in the population.

From a family history point of view birth, marriage and death records provide clues about families.

Think - a birth certificate doesn't just name a baby - it provides the name of the mother too, or mother and father too. Likewise a marriage certificate doesn't just provide the names of the bride and groom, it also includes the names of their fathers. And in recent years the mothers' names are added too in England and Wales (Scotland has been including mothers' names since 1855!).

Online for England and Wales you will find the indexes to the birth, marriage and death records. These have a few key details. When you find your ancestor you need to order the certificate to ensure you get the full details about your ancestor and their family: www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp (these do cost money to order, but we have included them here so that you don't have to hunt for the information about them as they are really useful!).

Anyway... back to the completely free family history resources that you're after in order to do your family history for free.

FreeCen: www.freecen.org.uk

Sister site to FreeBMD, FreeCEN is aimed at providing 19th-century census record details free online. FreeCEN is part of the FreeUKGen project, along with FreeReg (the latter concentrating on parish registers, which are also very useful records for family history research).

FamilySearch: www.familysearch.org

FamilySearch is the world’s largest, free, genealogy site with billions of searchable historical records and research guidance via its Research Wiki, online courses and more. 

UKBMD: www.ukbmd.org.uk

With thousands links to sites useful for birth, marriage, death and census records for the UK, this is a website worth visiting. Some of the links provide material freely;  for others, charges apply.

Cyndi's List:  www.cyndislist.com

Cyndi’s List is a labour of love by American Cyndi Howells. The list is an enormous, constantly updated, categorised index of more than three hundred thousand genealogical links worldwide – explore the topics, countries &, records.

UK Web Directory, GENUKI:  www.genuki.org.uk

The UK and Ireland Genealogical Information Service by GENUKI is a virtual reference library of genealogical data, with links to all the county record offices in the UK, family history societies and much more.

Five steps to find your ancestors for free

• I’ve started keeping a family history notebook: YES 
• I’ve started writing down memories & family anecdotes: YES 
• I’ve downloaded the family tree charts from family-tree.co.uk/information/fhwfb : YES 
• I’ve begun exploring the web links mentioned above and I'm making notes on what looks useful in my notebook: YES 
• I’ve signed up to the FREE Family Tree enewsletter: YES  Yes we do a COMPLETELY FREE ENEWSLETTER. Packed with all things family history, we'll share useful information about news, records and events to help you learn more about family history. To sign up and claim your free 7-day trial of Family Tree Plus, just click here . 

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• Certificates, register offices, changes of name or gender

Research your family history using the General Register Office

You can order birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership and death certificates from the General Register Office ( GRO ) to help you research your family history and family tree.

GRO has all the records registered in England and Wales from July 1837. You’ll need to look at parish records to trace back further.

It also has some other records, starting at a later date, for example for civil partnerships and adopted children. You can check which records are held by the GRO .

There’s a different process for getting certificates in Scotland and Northern Ireland .

How to order a certificate

You can order a copy of a birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership and death certificate from GRO .

All births, adoptions, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths registered in England or Wales have a GRO index reference number.

Find index reference numbers online

• search the GRO online Index of historic births (1837 to 1916) and deaths (1837 to 1957)
• view index reference numbers for free on the FreeBMD website

Commercial companies also have the index reference numbers online, but you’ll have to pay to search them and prices will vary.

Find index reference numbers in person

You can also search for free at:

• the Library of Birmingham
• Bridgend Local and Family History Centre
• the City of Westminster Archives Centre
• Manchester Central Library
• Newcastle City Library
• Plymouth Central Library
• The British Library (you’ll need to register first )

These are the only complete copies of the full sets of index reference numbers. They’re on microfiche.

Some of the index reference numbers are available at local libraries, archives and other locations .

Overseas records

GRO has records of births, marriages and deaths of some British citizens that have taken place abroad since the late 18th century.

These include births, marriages or deaths:

• registered by the armed forces
• recorded by British consulates or high commissions
• at sea, or on British oil or gas rigs or aircraft

Divorce or civil partnership dissolution records

For copies of a decree absolute or final order of the dissolution of a civil partnership, you’ll need to contact either:

• the court where the divorce or dissolution was granted
• the Principal Registry of the Family Division

Principal Registry of the Family Division 020 7421 8594 Find out about call charges

Principal Registry of the Family Division First Avenue House 42-49 High Holborn London WC1V 6NP

Further information

You can also search local archives and the National Archives to help research your family history.

The GRO ’s guides to researching your family tree include details of the information you’ll find on certificates, and what to do if you cannot find a certificate.

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Discover your ancestors' addresses, occupations and more in the 1881 Census of England, Wales and Scotland . Search and view transcripts of the census for free to uncover the details of your ancestors’ lives in 1881.

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If your ancestors immigrated to Queensland, find out whether they became British subjects through naturalisation.

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Civil birth and civil marriage records are the building blocks of your family tree. You don't need a subscription to view them – they're free, and they'll help you grow your family tree from the ground up. 

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Census records are full of facts about entire households. In just a few clicks, you can add whole branches of family members to your family tree, along with lots of important details about their lives. 

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The best free genealogy websites

These free genealogy websites will help you start your British family history research without costing a penny

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The growth of the internet has made it easier to research your British family history than ever before, with thousands of genealogy websites to help you search the records and connect with fellow family historians. While it can be useful to join a family history website , you can still start your family tree without spending a penny, thanks to the thousands of records available on free genealogy websites.

You may also like:

• The best genealogy courses available now
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The best websites for DNA family history research

The best free uk genealogy websites, 1. familysearch.

FamilySearch is the world's largest free genealogy website with a global index of millions of births, marriages and deaths, plus millions of UK parish records and indexes to workhouse records, land tax assessments, school records , court books, manorial records and more. It also has a vast collection of international records including Caribbean records .

2. Free UK Genealogy

Free UK Genealogy, a non-profit organisation founded in 1998, are the leading free genealogy website for UK family history. Their free websites are FreeBMD (covering civil birth, marriage and death records ); FreeREG (parish registers) and FreeCEN ( census records ). Each site offers millions of searchable record transcriptions, indexed by volunteers and completely free.

3. National Library of Wales

The leading free genealogy website for Welsh ancestry features 15 million articles from old newspapers printed in English and Welsh between 1804 and 1919, pre-1858 wills , gaol files for the Court of Great Sessions , tithe maps and applications for marriage licences.

4. Online Parish Clerks

Online Parish Clerks (OPC) are volunteer groups that create free genealogy websites with searchable transcriptions of records from their local parish. The link above takes you to a list of OPCs in England from the UKBMD website.

5. Find a Will

You can search lists of post-1858 wills for England and Wales on the government's free Find a Will genealogy website, with copies of the wills available for £1.50 each . The free search reveals details of the value of the estate, the date of death, address and who the executors were. Note that there have been problems with the website's search function since it was upgraded, however.

6. The National Archives

You can currently download a selection of The National Archives' online records for free , including Women’s Royal Naval Service officers’ First World War appointment registers, Coastguard records and Ministry of Health files about workhouse inmates and staff in series MH 12. The Discovery catalogue is also free to search and covers archives held in hundreds of records offices is great for discovering names attached to deeds, insurance records, bastardy orders and more.

7. National Library of Scotland

The leading free genealogy website for Scottish ancestry includes British military lists, old maps , searchable Scottish historical trade directories and genealogies of ancient Scottish families.

8. National Archives of Ireland

The leading free genealogy website for Irish ancestry holds the surviving Irish census records , Irish wills , First World War soldiers’ wills and the tithe applotment books of 1823–1837.

9. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

The leading free genealogy website for Northern Irish family history holds Valuation Revision Books, street and trade directories , freeholders’ records, war memorials, names on the Ulster Covenant and photographs.

10. Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission database locates graves and memorials dedicated to service personnel and civilians who died in the First and Second World Wars .

11. The Gazette

The London Gazette has been scanned from 1665 to the present day, containing published lists of bankrupts, military personnel mentioned in despatches and probate notices.

GENUKI may not offer large datasets, like most of the other websites included here, but it is still an invaluable free resource for anyone researching UK or Irish genealogy. Maintained by an army of volunteers, it is packed with information on what records are available and where to find them.

13. Connected Histories

Hunt for ancestors who were clergy , Londoners , transported convicts, witnesses at the Old Bailey and learn more about where they lived with the Victoria County History, Survey of London and Charles Booth Archive also on this website.

14. The Digital Panopticon

This free genealogy website lets you search millions of records across a number of datasets covering London convicts in Britain and Australia from 1780 to 1925.

15. BillionGraves

Discover the final resting place of your ancestors with this free site offering images and transcriptions of millions of cemeteries from around the world, photographed and transcribed by volunteers.

16. Find a Grave

Another site offering a vast free database of burials from across the globe.

17. Interment.net

Unlike BillionGraves and Find a Grave, this website is a strange combination of headstones transcribed by volunteers and cemetery records provided by local authorities and private organisations. Although the site doesn't include any images, it does have information not available elsewhere online.

18. Parliamentary Archives

The Parliamentary Archives has a few online resources, but the most useful record for anyone researching their English ancestors is the Protestation Returns. In 1642 the House of Commons required every adult male to swear allegiance to the Protestant religion. Although only about a third of records survive, these are the nearest to a census that we have for this period.

19. British History Online

Although the BHO website runs a subscription model for its premium content, there’s still plenty of useful material freely available here. From detailed county histories to the more obscure London hearth tax records for those who have managed to reach back to the 17 th century .

20. The Internet Archive

This giant library of a website is such a mish-mash of material that it often gets overlooked by family historians. It has some obviously genealogical material, such as old published parish records, but it also has unusual material from archives around the globe, such as The Gazettes of India . It helps if you know what you are looking for but you can also try random searches on topics or areas. To see a sample of the kind of genealogical material available, have a look at texts uploaded by the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center .

21. General Register Office

The go-to place for ordering birth , marriage and death certificates for England and Wales, the site also has two very useful free indexes for births and deaths that include details not available on other indexes such as mother’s maiden name and age at death going back to 1837. You will need to select 'Order certificates online' and then register with the site or log in to find the indexes.

22. ScotlandsPeople

Although ScotlandsPeople is not strictly a free website, the information you can get from a free search is very good even without paying for the record image. So, if you are researching Scottish ancestors on a budget, don't rule it out.

23. ScotlandsPlaces

As well as its useful gazetter of Scottish places, this website has an impressive collection of tax records that can help your 18th century Scottish research, an array of maps and surveys, and Medical Officer of Health records for 1891.

24. Scottish Indexes

Although you have to pay to see the original records, the indexes here are free to search and contain fascinating detail. Record sets include mental health institutions, criminal and court records, paternity and poor relief records, and registers of property ownership.

25. Wellcome Collection

The website of this medical museum and library in Central London has plenty to offer family historians, although it is not the easiest website to navigate. As well as reports from local Medical Officers of Health that can give you a picture of the health of your forebear's area, a number of mental-health institutions have had their records digitised and made available here including Crichton Royal Hospital in Dumfries, Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow, The Retreat in York and Ticehurst House Hospital in East Sussex.

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Find Your Family in Federal Records: National Archives Kicks Off Annual Online Genealogy Series for May, June 2024 Media Alert · Friday, May 10, 2024

Washington, DC

Participate in our free online genealogy series!

WHAT: Join our National Archives experts as they present sessions during our annual online Genealogy Series on YouTube . This educational series will teach you how to use federal resources at the National Archives for genealogical research. Sessions are intended for beginners to experienced family historians—all are welcome! 

Lecture schedule, topic descriptions, videos, and handouts are available  at the 2024 Genealogy Series web page .  

WHEN: May & June 2024—all sessions take place on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. ET

• May 21 Welcome from Dr. Colleen Shogan, Archivist of the United States; Passport Records: Passport Applications at the National Archives, 1790s–1925 
• May 28 After Their Service: Tracing the Lives of Native American Army Scouts​ 
• June 4 Captured German Records Related to American Prisoners of War During World War II 
• June 18 Alien Files (A-Files): Researching Immigrant Ancestors at the National Archives 
• June 25 World War II Enemy Alien Records Related to Japanese Americans at the National Archives; Closing Remarks 

WHO: National Archives experts in government records will broadcast from facilities nationwide.

• Claire Kluskens, Subject Matter Expert for Genealogy and Census Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives in Washington, DC
• Cody White, Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives at Denver, CO
• Rachael Salyer, Subject Matter Expert in Modern Military Records and an archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD
• Elizabeth Burnes, Subject Matter Expert for Immigrant Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives at Kansas City, MO
• David Castillo, archives specialist at the National Archives at College Park, MD
• Ruth Chan, Subject Matter Expert for Asian American and Pacific Islander Related Records and an archivist at the National Archives at San Francisco, CA
• Katharine Seitz, archives specialist at the National Archives in Washington, DC

WHERE: The series will be broadcast on the U.S. National Archives YouTube channel . 

HOW: Watch the broadcasts on YouTube . Participants can watch individual sessions, ask questions, and interact with presenters and other family historians. No need to register—just click the links on the schedule to view the sessions! Videos and handouts will remain available after the event. For more details, go to the 2024 Genealogy Series web page .

Captioning is available; just select the CC icon at the bottom of the YouTube video.  Transcripts are available; send a request to [email protected] . If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for the event, please email [email protected] .

Share on social: Use #GenealogySeries2024 to join the genealogy conversation!

X and Instagram: @USNatArchives  

Threads: #USNatArchives

Facebook: @USNationalArchives  

LinkedIn: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Background: The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the federal government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, ship passenger lists, census, and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. See “Resources for Genealogists” online .

For media inquiries, please contact: National Archives Public and Media Communications at (202) 357-5300 or via email at [email protected].

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This page was last reviewed on May 10, 2024. Contact us with questions or comments .

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Money blog: 'Loud budgeting' - The money-saving trend that has nothing to do with giving up your daily coffee

Created accidentally by a comedian, "loud budgeting" is breaking down the taboo of speaking about money. Read this and the rest of our Weekend Money features, and leave a comment, and we'll be back with rolling personal finance and consumer news on Monday.

Saturday 11 May 2024 09:05, UK

Weekend Money

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By Jess Sharp , Money team 

Money saving trends are constantly popping up on social media - but one in particular has been gaining huge amounts of attention.

Created accidentally by a comedian, loud budgeting is breaking down the taboo of speaking about money.

The idea is based on being firmer/more vocal about your financial boundaries in social situations and setting out what you are happy to spend your money on, instead of "Keeping up with the Joneses". 

On TikTok alone, videos published under the hashtag #loudbudgeting have garnered more than 30 million views - and that figure is continuing to climb. 

We spoke to Lukas Battle - the 26-year-old who unintentionally created the trend as part of a comedy sketch. 

Based in New York, he came up with the term in a skit about the "quiet luxury" hype, which had spread online in 2023 inspired by shows like Succession. 

The term was used for humble bragging about your wealth with expensive items that were subtle in their design - for example, Gwyneth Paltrow's  £3,900 moss green wool coat from The Row, which she wore during her ski resort trial...

"I was never a big fan of the quiet luxury trend, so I just kind of switched the words and wrote 'loud budgeting is in'. I'm tired of spending money and I don't want to pretend to be rich," Lukas said. 

"That's how it started and then the TikTok comments were just obsessed with that original idea." 

This was the first time he mentioned it...

Lukas explained that it wasn't about "being poor" but about not being afraid of sharing your financial limits and "what's profitable for you personally". 

"It's not 'skip a coffee a day and you'll become a millionaire'."

While talking money has been seen as rude or taboo, he said it's something his generation is more comfortable doing. 

"I've seen more debate around the topic and I think people are really intrigued and attracted by the idea," he said. 

"It's just focusing your spending and time on things you enjoy and cutting out the things you might feel pressured to spend your money on."  

He has incorporated loud budgeting into his own life, telling his friends "it's free to go outside" and opting for cheaper dinner alternatives.

"Having the terminology and knowing it's a trend helps people understand it and there's no awkward conversation around it," he said. 

The trend has been a big hit with so-called American "finfluencers", or "financial influencers", but people in the UK have started practising it as well. 

Mia Westrap has taken up loud budgeting by embarking on a no-buy year and sharing her finances with her 11.3k TikTok followers. 

Earning roughly £2,100 a month, she spends around £1,200 on essentials, like rent, petrol and car insurance, but limits what else she can purchase. 

Clothes, fizzy drinks, beauty treatments, makeup, dinners out and train tickets are just some things on her "red list". 

The 26-year-old PHD student first came across the idea back in 2017, but decided to take up the challenge this year after realising she was living "pay check to pay check". 

She said her "biggest fear" in the beginning was that her friends wouldn't understand what she was doing, but she found loud budgeting helped. 

"I'm still trying my best to just go along with what everyone wants to do but I just won't spend money while we do it and my friends don't mind that, we don't make a big deal out of it," she said. 

So far, she has been able to save £1,700, and she said talking openly about her money has been "really helpful". 

"There's no way I could have got this far if I wasn't baring my soul to the internet about the money I have spent. It has been a really motivating factor."

Financial expert John Webb said loud budgeting has the ability to help many "feel empowered" and create a "more realistic" relationship with money.

"This is helping to normalise having open and honest conversations about finances," the consumer affair manager at Experien said. 

"It can also reduce the anxiety some might have by keeping their financial worries to themselves." 

However, he warned it's important to be cautious and to take the reality of life into consideration. 

"It could cause troubles within friendship groups if they're not on the same page as you or have different financial goals," he said.

"This challenge isn't meant to stop you from having fun, but it is designed to help people become more conscious and intentional when it comes to money, and reduce the stigma around talking about it." 

Rightmove's keyword tool shows Victorian-era houses are the most commonly searched period properties, with people drawn to their ornate designs and features.

Georgian and Edwardian-style are second and third respectively, followed by Tudor properties. Regency ranked in fifth place.

Rightmove property expert Tim Bannister said: "Home hunters continue to be captivated by the character and charm of properties that we see in period dramas.

"Victorian homes remain particularly popular, characterised by their historic charm, solid construction, and spacious interiors. You'll often find Victorian houses in some of the most desirable locations which include convenient access to schools and transport links."

Throughout the week Money blog readers have shared their thoughts on the stories we've been covering, with the most correspondence coming in on...

• A hotly contested debate on the best brand of tea
• Downsizing homes
• The cost of Michelin-starred food

Job interview mistakes

On Wednesday we reported on a new £12m ad from PG Tips in response to it falling behind rivals such as Twinings, Yorkshire Tea and Tetley....

We had lots of comments like this...

How on earth was the PG Tips advert so expensive? I prefer Tetley tea, PG Tips is never strong enough flavour for me. Shellyleppard

The reason for the sales drop with PG Tips could be because they increased the price and reduced the quantity of bags from 240 to 180 - it's obvious. Royston

And then this question which we've tried to answer below...

Why have PG Tips changed from Pyramid shape tea bags, to a square? Sam

Last year PG Tips said it was changing to a square bag that left more room for leaves to infuse, as the bags wouldn't fold over themselves.

We reported on data showing how downsizing could save you money for retirement - more than £400,000, in some regions, by swapping four beds for two.

Some of our readers shared their experiences...

We are downsizing and moving South so it's costing us £100k extra for a smaller place, all money from retirement fund. AlanNorth

Interesting read about downsizing for retirement. We recently did this to have the means to retire early at 52. However, we bought a house in the south of France for the price of a flat in our town in West Sussex. Now living the dream! OliSarah

How much should we pay for food?

Executive chef at London's two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan, raised eyebrows when he suggested to the Money blog that Britons don't pay enough for restaurant food.

Ikoyi, the 35th best restaurant in the world, charges £320 for its tasting menu. 

"I don't think people pay enough money for food, I think we charge too little, [but] we want to always be accessible to as many people as possible, we're always trying our best to do that," he said, in a piece about his restaurant's tie up with Uber Eats... 

We had this in... 

Are they serious? That is two weeks' worth of food shopping for me, if the rich can afford this "tasting menu" then they need to be taxed even more by the government, it's just crazy! Steve T

If the rate of pay is proportionate to the vastly overpriced costs of the double Michelin star menu, I would gladly peel quail eggs for four-hour stints over continuing to be abused as a UK supply teacher. AndrewWard

Does this two-star Michelin star chef live in the real world? Who gives a toss if he stands and peels his quails eggs for four hours, and he can get the best turbot from the fishmonger fresh on a daily basis? It doesn't justify the outrageous price he is charging for his tasting menu. Topaztraveller

Chefs do make me laugh, a steak is just a steak, they don't make the meat! They just cook it like the rest of us, but we eat out because we can't be bothered cooking! StevieGrah

Finally, many of you reacted to this feature on common mistakes in job interviews...

Those 10 biggest mistakes people make in interviews is the dumbest thing I've ever read. They expect all that and they'll be offering a £25k a year job. Why wouldn't I want to know about benefits and basic sick pay? And also a limp handshake? How's that relevant to how you work? Jre90

Others brought their own tips...

Whenever I go for an interview I stick to three points: 1. Be yourself 2. Own the interview 3. Wear the clothes that match the job you are applying Kevin James Blakey

From Sunday, eligible working parents of children from nine-months-old in England will be able to register for access to up to 15 free hours of government-funded childcare per week.

This will then be granted from September. 

Check if you're eligible  here  - or read on for our explainer on free childcare across the UK.

Three and four year olds

In England, all parents of children aged three and four in England can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week, for 1,140 hours (38 weeks) a year, at an approved provider.

This is a universal offer open to all.

It can be extended to 30 hours where both parents (or the sole parent) are in work, earn the weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum or living wage, and have an income of less than £100,000 per year.

Two year olds

Previously, only parents in receipt of certain benefits were eligible for 15 hours of free childcare.

But, as of last month, this was extended to working parents.

This is not a universal offer, however.

A working parent must earn more than £8,670 but less than £100,000 per year. For couples, the rule applies to both parents.

Nine months old

In September, this same 15-hour offer will be extended to working parents of children aged from nine months. From 12 May, those whose children will be at least nine months old on 31 August can apply to received the 15 hours of care from September.

From September 2025

The final change to the childcare offer in England will be rolled out in September 2025, when eligible working parents of all children under the age of five will be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week.

In some areas of Wales, the Flying Start early years programme offers 12.5 hours of free childcare for 39 weeks, for eligible children aged two to three. The scheme is based on your postcode area, though it is currently being expanded.

All three and four-year-olds are entitled to free early education of 10 hours per week in approved settings during term time under the Welsh government's childcare offer.

Some children of this age are entitled to up to 30 hours per week of free early education and childcare over 48 weeks of the year. The hours can be split - but at least 10 need to be used on early education.

To qualify for this, each parent must earn less than £100,000 per year, be employed and earn at least the equivalent of working 16 hours a week at the national minimum wage, or be enrolled on an undergraduate, postgraduate or further education course that is at least 10 weeks in length.

All three and four-year-olds living in Scotland are entitled to at least 1,140 hours per year of free childcare, with no work or earnings requirements for parents. 

This is usually taken as 30 hours per week over term time (38 weeks), though each provider will have their own approach.

Some households can claim free childcare for two-year-olds. To be eligible you have to be claiming certain benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit, or have a child that is in the care of their local council or living with you under a guardianship order or kinship care order.

Northern Ireland

There is no scheme for free childcare in Northern Ireland. Some other limited support is available.

Working parents can access support from UK-wide schemes such as tax credits, Universal Credit, childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare.

Aside from this, all parents of children aged three or four can apply for at least 12.5 hours a week of funded pre-school education during term time. But over 90% of three-year-olds have a funded pre-school place - and of course this is different to childcare.

What other help could I be eligible for?

Tax-free childcare  - Working parents in the UK can claim up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with childcare costs. 

If the child is disabled, the amount goes up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year).

To claim the benefit, parents will need to open a tax-free childcare account online. For every 80p paid into the account, the government will top it up by 20p.

The scheme is available until the September after the child turns 11.

Universal credit  - Working families on universal credit can claim back up to 85% of their monthly childcare costs, as long as the care is paid for upfront. The most you can claim per month is £951 for one child or £1,630 for two or more children.

Tax credits -  People claiming working tax credit can get up to 70% of what they pay for childcare if their costs are no more than £175 per week for one child or £300 per work for multiple children.

Two big economic moments dominated the news agenda in Money this week - interest rates and GDP.

As expected, the Bank of England held the base rate at 5.25% on Wednesday - but a shift in language was instructive about what may happen next.

Bank governor Andrew Bailey opened the door to a summer cut to 5%, telling reporters that an easing of rates at the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting on 20 June was neither ruled out nor a fait accompli.

More surprisingly, he suggested that rate cuts, when they start, could go deeper "than currently priced into market rates".

He refused to be drawn on what that path might look like - but markets had thought rates could bottom out at 4.5% or 4.75% this year, and potentially 3.5% or 4% next.

"To make sure that inflation stays around the 2% target - that inflation will neither be too high nor too low - it's likely that we will need to cut Bank rate over the coming quarters and make monetary policy somewhat less restrictive over the forecast period," Mr Bailey said.

You can read economics editor Ed Conway's analysis of the Bank's decision here ...

On Friday we discovered the UK is no longer in recession.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics said.

This followed two consecutive quarters of the economy shrinking.

The data was more positive than anticipated.

"Britain is not just out of recession," wrote Conway. "It is out of recession with a bang."

The UK has seen its fastest growth since the tailend of the pandemic - and Conway picked out three other reasons for optimism.

1/ An economic growth rate of 0.6% is near enough to what economists used to call "trend growth". It's the kind of number that signifies the economy growing at more or less "normal" rates.

2/ 0.6% means the UK is, alongside Canada, the fastest-growing economy in the G7 (we've yet to hear from Japan, but economists expect its economy to contract in the first quarter).

3/ Third, it's not just gross domestic product that's up. So too is gross domestic product per head - the number you get when you divide our national income by every person in the country. After seven years without any growth, GDP per head rose by 0.4% in the first quarter.

GDP per head is a more accurate yardstick for the "feelgood factor", said Conway - perhaps meaning people will finally start to feel better off.

For more on where Friday's figures leaves us, listen to an Ian King Business Podcast special...

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money .

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

If you've missed any of the features we've been running in Money this year, or want to check back on something you've previously seen in the blog, this archive of our most popular articles may help...

Loaves of bread have been recalled from shelves in Japan after they were found to contain the remains of a rat.

Production of the bread in Tokyo has been halted after parts of a "small animal" were found by at least two people.

Pasco Shikishima Corp, which produces the bread, said 104,000 packages have been recalled as it apologised and promised compensation.

A company representative told Sky News's US partner network, NBC News, that a "small black rat" was found in the bread. No customers were reported to have fallen ill as a result of ingesting the contaminated bread.

"We deeply apologise for the serious inconvenience and trouble this has caused to our customers, suppliers, and other concerned parties," the spokesman said.

Pasco added in a separate statement that "we will do our utmost to strengthen our quality controls so that this will never happen again. We ask for your understanding and your co-operation."

Japanese media reports said at least two people who bought the bread in the Gunma prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread.

Record levels of shoplifting appear to be declining as fewer shopkeepers reported thefts last year, new figures show. 

A survey by the Office for National Statistics shows 26% of retailers experienced customer theft in 2023, down from a record high of 28% in 2022.

This comes despite a number of reports suggesting shoplifting is becoming more frequent. 

A  separate ONS finding , which used police crime data, showed reports of shoplifting were at their highest level in 20 years in 2023, with law enforcements logging 430,000 instances of the crime.

Let's get you up to speed on the biggest business news of the past 24 hours. 

A privately owned used-car platform is circling Cazoo Group, its stricken US-listed rival, which is on the brink of administration.

Sky News has learnt that Motors.co.uk is a leading contender to acquire Cazoo's marketplace operation, which would include its brand and intellectual property assets.

The process to auction the used-car platform's constituent parts comes after it spent tens of millions of pounds on sponsorship deals in football, snooker and darts in a rapid attempt to gain market share.

The owner of British Airways has reported a sharp rise in profits amid soaring demand for trips and a fall in the cost of fuel.

International Airlines Group said its operating profit for the first three months of the year was €68m (£58.5m) - above expectations and up from €9m (£7.7m) during the same period in 2023.

The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said earnings had soared thanks to strong demand, particularly over the Easter holidays.

The prospect of a strike across Tata Steel's UK operations has gained further traction after a key union secured support for industrial action.

Community, which has more than 3,000 members, said 85% voted in favour of fighting the India-owned company's plans for up to 2,800 job losses, the majority of them at the country's biggest steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales.

Tata confirmed last month it was to press ahead with the closure of the blast furnaces at the plant, replacing them with electric arc furnaces to reduce emissions and costs.

In doing so, the company rejected an alternative plan put forward by the Community, GMB and Unite unions that, they said, would raise productivity and protect jobs across the supply chain.

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