Government help with childcare costs for parents
Whether you have toddlers or teens, you could get support.
Universal Credit Childcare now offers even more support:
Help for Households: Childcare Choices
Tag: Childcare Choices
HMRC: Save up to £2k a year on childcare costs for your little pumpkins
Autumn is here and as the October school holidays have started, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working families to give their childcare budget a treat this Halloween by opening a Tax-Free Childcare account.
Parents can use Tax-Free Childcare to help with childcare costs for school holiday clubs, breakfast or after school clubs, childminders or nurseries. It provides working families with up to £2,000 a year per child off their childcare bills for children up to the age of 11, or £4,000 a year up to the age of 16 if their child has a disability.
For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account, families automatically receive a top up from the UK Government of £2. Using the tax-free top up, families can save up to £500 every 3 months for each child or £1,000 if their child is disabled.
Opening a Tax-Free Childcare account is quick and easy and can be done at any time of the year. Families who have not yet signed up should check their eligibility and apply online today.
It takes around 20 minutes to open an account and money can be deposited at any time. The money can be used straight away or left in the account and used whenever it is needed. Any unused money can be withdrawn at any time.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Families need plenty of childcare options when the weather turns cold and wet and days get shorter.
“We would urge parents to ensure they’re taking advantage of all opportunities available – whether it’s sending their child to wraparound school club or a holiday club during the half term break. Tax-Free Childcare provides financial help that fits your family – to support your childcare needs and save you money. Search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK to get started.”
Eligible working families can register for a Tax-Free Childcare account today by registering on GOV.UK.
It takes around 20 minutes to open an account and money can be deposited at any time. The money can be used straight away or left in the account and used whenever it is needed. Any unused money can be withdrawn at any time.
The UK Government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support is available, including help with childcare costs.
School term dates vary across the UK. More information can be found on GOV.UK.
HMRC: Families urged to boost their back-to-school budget with Tax-Free Childcare
Now the new school term has started, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding families to open a Tax-Free Childcare account today to save up to £2,000 per child on their yearly childcare bills.
Families can use their Tax-Free Childcare account to pay for any approved childcare including holiday clubs, breakfast and after school clubs, child minders and nurseries.
The scheme provides working families, with children up to the age of 11, or 16 if their child has a disability, up to £2,000 a year per child or £4,000 a year if their child is disabled. For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account, families automatically receive the UK Government top up of £2. Families can save up to £500 every three months for each child or £1,000 if their child is disabled.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Arranging childcare can be costly for working families. Tax-Free Childcare offers financial help so families can save on the cost of childcare. Search Tax-Free Childcare on GOV.UK and sign up online today.”
Opening a Tax-Free Childcare account online is straightforward and can be done in about 20 minutes. Money can be deposited at any time, 365 days a year, to be used straight away or left in the account and used whenever it is needed. Unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time.
Go to GOV.UK to register and start saving today.
The UK Government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support is available, including help with childcare costs.
Crack your Easter childcare costs with tax-free top ups
With the Easter school holidays nearly here, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding families in Scotland not to miss out on UK Government help to pay for childcare.
Tax-Free Childcare can pay for any approved childcare for children aged 11 or under, or 16 if the child has a disability. More than 26,000 families in Scotland used the scheme in December 2022.
Working families, where each parent or carer earns up to £100,000 can use it, meaning for every £8 paid into an online account they will receive an additional £2 from the government. This means parents and carers can receive up to £500 every 3 months (£2,000 a year for each child), or £1,000 (£4,000 a year for each child) if their child is disabled.
Whether children go to nursery, a childminder, attend breakfast, after school or holiday clubs, as well as out of school activities, Tax-Free Childcare could be used.
Opening a Tax-Free Childcare account is quick and easy and can be done at any time of the year. Families who have not yet signed up should check their eligibility and apply online today.
Victoria Atkins, Financial Secretary to The Treasury, said: “Tax-Free Childcare provides extra help with childcare costs which could make all the difference to working families and make childcare expenses more manageable.
“I would urge families to go online today to find out how it can help you.”
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Childcare is so important for working families, especially during school holiday time. Tax-Free Childcare provides financial support when it’s needed the most.
“Search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK to find out how it could help you.”
A Tax-Free Childcare account can be opened online in just 20 minutes. Money can be deposited at any time to be used straight away, or whenever it is needed.
Unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time. Go to GOV.UK to register and get started.
Families could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if they:
· have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being eligible on 1 September after their 11th birthday. If their child has a disability, they can receive support until 1 September after their 16th birthday
· earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average
· each earn no more than £100,000 per annum
· do not receive tax credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers .
A full list of the eligibility criteria is available on GOV.UK.
The UK Government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support, including help with childcare costs, families could be eligible for.
Back to school? HMRC can help with childcare costs
Families receive up to £500 every three months (£2,000 a year) per child, or £1,000 (£4,000 a year) if their child is disabled, helping towards the cost of before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, holiday clubs and other approved childcare schemes.
In June 2022, more than 23,200 working families in Scotland benefitted from Tax-Free Childcare – but thousands more could be missing out. Overall in June, HMRC paid out £41.6 million in top-up payments, which was shared between approximately 391,000 families across the UK.
Families can find out what childcare support is best for them via Childcare Choices.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Tax-Free Childcare can make a big difference to families in Scotland, helping with the bills for things like wraparound care for school children, nurseries, childminders and holiday clubs. It’s easy to register – search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK.”
More than one million families in the UK are entitled to some form of UK Government childcare support and the government is encouraging those eligible to not miss out on their entitlements.
For thousands of families who use Tax-Free Childcare, the money they save each month on their childcare costs is money that goes back into their pockets.
Accounts can be opened at any time of the year and can be used straight away, and money can be deposited at any time and used when needed.
Any unused money that is deposited can be simply withdrawn at any time.
HMRC: Get help with summer holiday childcare costs
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding thousands of parents and families in Scotland not to miss out on financial support that can help pay for childcare during the summer holidays.
Through Tax-Free Childcare, families can receive up to £2,000 a year per child – or £4,000 if their child is disabled – to put towards the cost of childcare. And it is available for children aged up to 11, or 17 if the child has a disability. The money can help towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes.
The UK Government will pay 20% of childcare costs by topping up the money paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account. This means for every £8 paid into the online account, families will automatically receive an additional £2 in government top-up.
More than 22,700 families in Scotland used Tax-Free Childcare in March 2022 – the highest number of families recorded using the scheme since it was launched in April 2017 – but thousands more could be missing out. Research published earlier this year by HMRC estimated that about 1.3 million families could be eligible for this UK Government support.
Parents and carers are being urged find out more about Tax-Free Childcare via the Childcare Choices website.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Tax-Free Childcare can make a big difference to families, helping with the bills for things like holiday clubs, nurseries, childminders and after school clubs.
“It’s easy to register – search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK.”
Helen Whately, HM Treasury’s Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Tax-Free Childcare helps families with the cost of childcare bills but we know that thousands of parents could be missing out.
“That is why I’m encouraging families to sign up now and save on childcare costs.
“There are lots of fantastic holiday clubs and childcare providers to help working parents during the summer holidays, so now is the time to take advantage of this support.”
For thousands of families who use Tax-Free Childcare, the money they save each month on their childcare costs is money that goes back into their pockets. Accounts can be opened at any time of the year and can be used straight away, and money can be deposited at any time and used when needed. Any unused money that is deposited can be simply withdrawn at any time.
During the school summer holidays, it is more important than ever that parents and carers are able to access the financial aid they qualify for. It can reduce their costs, help them to stay in work, or help them work more hours.
More than one million families in the UK are entitled to some form of UK Government childcare support and the government is encouraging those eligible to not miss out on their entitlements.
Families can find out what childcare support is best for them via Childcare Choices.
To ensure that parents get the childcare support they are entitled to, the government is launching an awareness raising advertising campaign this week.