Help with childcare costs
Funded Early Education
More Help with Childcare Costs
Find out more about additional help with childcare costs and what is best for your family through the easy to use website: Childcare Choices.
Parents will also be able to use an online calculator that can help families decide what scheme they could be eligible for and what is best for them regarding savings on childcare costs.
The government has rolled out the Tax Free Childcare scheme. Working families can make savings on childcare costs they must pay for.
Parents can apply online through Childcare Choices and can save up to £2000 per year, per child, or up to £4000 per year for a disabled child.
Every £8 you pay in, the government will top it up with an extra £2.00. Find out more.
This scheme closed in 2019 to new applicants.
Families who claim Working Tax Credits could receive additional help with their childcare costs. This could be for up to:
- £122.50 per week for 1 child or
- £210 per week for 2 or more children.
Parents with low incomes could get help with your childcare costs if you are on Universal Credit. From 28th June 2023 this could mean:
- claiming back up 85% of childcare costs for children under 17 years
- parents could receive up to
- up to £950.92 per month for one child, or
- up to £1630.15 per month for two or more children
This scheme is closed to new applicants from October 2018.
Childcare Vouchers is a scheme that employees pay into via their employer, and it is deducted from the salary. You do not pay tax or national insurance on the money paid into the scheme as this will be the saving.
Although the scheme is closed employees who were paying into a Childcare Vouchers before 4 October 2018 can continue with their scheme if it is still running.
Other options available instead of Childcare Vouchers is Tax Free Childcare.
Parents under 20
Are you a parent aged under 20 years and studying for a publicly funded course at sixth form or college? Then you might get help with the costs of registered childcare through the Care to Learn Scheme where you could get up to:
- £180 per child per week if you live outside London
Parents can find more about eligibility and how to apply online
Learner Support
Are you are a parent aged 19 years or over and studying for an NVQ, BTEC or PGCE and facing financial hardship, you could get help with childcare costs through Learner Support.
You would apply for this through your education provider i.e. college. How much you get depends on your circumstances.
Depending on your circumstances, you could get:
- a loan
- a grant you do not have to pay back
- paid to someone else, for example an Ofsted-registered childcare provider
Childcare Grant
If you a parent in full time higher education, you can apply for help with childcare costs through the Childcare Grant scheme. You could get up to 85% of your costs paid and you won't have to pay it back and it will be a top up of your student finance award.
Further information is available for the childcare grant and how to apply to Student Finance England.
The maximum you can get is:
Do you need help?
If you need any further information, please contact us.