Parents urged to check whether they are eligible for childcare funding with THOUSANDS currently missing out

Parents are being urged to check whether they could be eligible for funding towards their childcare costs.

More than 401,300 families collectively benefited from £44.4 million in government funding towards childcare costs in September 2022, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said.

But it added that thousands of families are still missing out on the Tax-Free Childcare top-up.

More than 401,300 families collectively benefited from £44.4 million in government funding towards childcare costs in September 2022
Danny Lawson

Tax-Free Childcare provides working families, earning up to £100,000 a year, with financial help towards childcare.

For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare online account, families automatically receive an additional £2 from the government.

They can receive up to £500 every three months (adding up to £2,000 a year), or £1,000 (£4,000 a year) if their child has disabilities.

The top-up payments can be used to pay for approved childcare for children aged 11 or under, or up to 17 if the child has a disability, whether the child goes to nursery, a child minder, has term-time wraparound care or attends a holiday club.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: “We know childcare can be expensive so using Tax-Free Childcare can make a huge difference to household finances.

Thousands of families are still missing out on the Tax-Free Childcare top-up
Ian West

To find out more, search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on gov.uk.”