Families using their Tax-Free Childcare accounts to pay for their childcare costs are benefitting from a government top-up worth up to £500 every three months, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced.
But there are thousands of families across the UK missing out on the chance to save money on childcare. They too could join almost 248,000 families across the UK who saved money using Tax-Free Childcare in December 2020, an increase of almost 43,000 families from December 2019, and received a share of more than £25 million in government top-up payments.
Tax-Free Childcare allows parents or carers who have children aged up to 11, or 17 if their child is disabled, to pay their childcare provider through the scheme, and receive a 20% government top-up on any money deposited.
For every £8 per child a parent or carer deposits, they will receive £2 in top-up, up to the value of £500 every three months, or £1,000 if their child is disabled. That equals £2,000, or £4,000 for the care of a disabled child, for a whole year. The top-up is paid directly into the child's account and is ready to use almost instantly.
As children across the UK return to school, families can use the money to pay their childcare provider including childminder fees, after school clubs or sports activities, where the childcare provider has signed up to Tax-Free Childcare. Families could also save money now to earn the government top-up and use the money to pay for childcare, summer camps and play schemes during school holidays.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Director General for Customer Services, said:
As children return to their schools, after-school clubs and nurseries, help is available towards the cost of childcare.
Families using Tax-Free Childcare to pay their childcare provider are already benefiting from the 20% government top-up on deposits, and you could too.
