HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working families to give their childcare budget a boost 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.

You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you will have to set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider.

You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both.

You can use it to pay for approved childcare, for example:

  • childminders, nurseries and nannies; and
  • after school clubs and play schemes.

Your childcare provider must be signed up to the scheme before you can pay them and benefit from Tax-Free Childcare. Check with your provider to see if they’re signed up.

If your child is disabled

You can use the extra Tax-Free Childcare money you get to help pay for extra hours of childcare. You can also use it to help pay your childcare provider so they can get specialist equipment for your child, such as mobility aids. Talk to them about what equipment your child can get.

See: Save up to £2,000 a year on childcare costs for your little pumpkins – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)