Help with childcare costs

You may be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if you are a working family, and each parent or carer earns above £152 per week but below £100,000 per year. You could get up to £2,000 per child per year.

If you are a single parent or carer, the same criteria applies.

The childcare setting will need to be signed up.

You cannot claim Tax-Free Childcare if you already claim:

• tax credits,
• Universal Credit, or
• childcare vouchers.

However, you may be eligible if 1 parent is working, and the other is claiming certain benefits, such as:

• incapacity benefits,
• severe disablement allowance, or
• carer’s allowance.

You can find out more about Tax-Free Childcare.

You could claim up to 85% of your childcare costs if you are a working parent or carer on Universal Credit. You could get:

• a maximum of £951 per month for 1 child, or
• a maximum of £1,630 per month for 2 or more children.

If you are eligible, you may be able to get help with the costs in advance, so that it is easier to pay the next set of costs.

If you are starting work or increasing your working hours, please speak to your Universal Credit work coach who can give you more information. You must be in paid work to get childcare support from Universal Credit.

If you are claiming Universal Credit with a partner, usually, you both need to be in work to get this help. However, you may be able to get childcare support if 1 of you is not working and cannot provide childcare themselves because they:

• have limited capability for work,
• have caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person, or
• are temporarily absent from the household.

You cannot claim Universal Credit for childcare if you already claim:

• tax credits,
• Tax-Free Childcare, or
• childcare vouchers.

You can find out more about Universal Credit for childcare.

You may be eligible for the Childcare Offer for Wales (the Offer), if you have a child aged 3 to 4 and both parents or carers in a 2 parent family are:

• working and earning above the equivalent of 16 hours at National Minimum Wage but below £100,000 per year each, or
• on a Higher or Further Education course.

You may also be eligible if 1 parent meets the criteria above, and the other receives an eligible benefit, such as:

• incapacity benefit,
• severe disablements allowance, or
• carer’s allowance.

If you are a single parent or carer, you may be eligible if you are:

• working and earning above the equivalent of 16 hours at National Minimum Wage but below £100,000 per year, or
• on a Higher or Further Education course.

Your child will need to go to a designated setting.

The Offer does not cover costs for food, refreshments and travel, or any additional childcare.

You can find out more about the Childcare Offer for Wales.

Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s Early Years programme for families with children under 4 in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Wales.

The funded childcare provides 2 to 3 year olds with 2.5 hours of high quality childcare each day, 5 days each week for 39 weeks of the year, during school term times.

The Flying Start childcare is only delivered in designated settings. The childcare is monitored and supported by teachers and many other professionals to make sure the children experience high quality care.

Depending on your postcode, you may be eligible. There are no employment or income requirements.

You can find out more and check if you are eligible for Flying Start Childcare.