January 2023
Do you know that the Government can help you pay for your childcare?
Whether you've got toddlers or teens, support is available. They've even got a handy tool on their website to help find the right offer for you.
Visit the Childcare Choices website to find out how much you could get towards your childcare costs and check whether you’re eligible.
 Money towards childcare (tax-free childcare)
If you’re a working parent or carer, you can get up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year per child) to help with the costs of childcare. If your child has a disability, you can get up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year per child).
Your child must be 11 years old or under and usually live with you. They stop being eligible on 1 September after their 11th birthday.
You can use it to pay for childcare including:
- childminders, nurseries and nannies
- play schemes, before and after school clubs and holiday clubs
- home care workers working for a registered agency.
How does it work?
If eligible, you set up an online childcare account which you can use to pay your childcare provider directly.
For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year (or £4,000 if your child has a disability).
You need to reconfirm your eligibility for Tax-Free Childcare every three months through your childcare account. You’ll get a text reminder and it’s easy to do.
 Free childcare (15 or 30 hours)
Depending on the age of your child and your circumstances, the Government offer either 15 or 30 hours free childcare.
15 hours free childcare
All three and four year olds in England can get 570 hours free childcare per year. It’s usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term-time), but you can choose to take fewer hours over more weeks, for example approximately 11 hours per week over 51 weeks of the year.
Your child is automatically eligible for this from the term after their third birthday up until when they start at primary school in the reception class. You do not need to complete an application form or provide an eligibility code.
Some two years olds are also eligible for 15 hours free childcare, depending on their family's circumstances. You can check your eligibility via our website or call us on 0345 155 1013 so that we can check for you.
30 hours free childcare
Working parents of three and four year olds in England may be entitled to up to 30 hours of free childcare, for 38 weeks of the year (or fewer hours over more weeks).
You'll need to be working at least 16 hours a week and earning at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, up to £100,000 per year. This includes being self-employed; on maternity or parental leave and on sick leave or annual leave.
You can apply via the Government website from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks old.
If you're eligible for 30 hours free childcare, you'll get a childcare account and a code to give to your provider along with your National Insurance number and your child's date of birth.
You must sign in to your childcare account and reconfirm your details are up to date every three months or your code will expire.
Claim back childcare costs
If you're eligible for Universal Credit, you may be able to claim back up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs, with up to £646 back each month for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.
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