Financial Support For Childcare

Use this calculator to find out how much you could get towards childcare, including:

• free childcare for children aged between 2 and 4
• help with childcare costs if your child is under 16 (or under 17 and disabled)

You can get help with childcare costs for children under 18. You might be able to apply for:

• Tax-Free Childcare
• tax credits
• Universal Credit
• help while you study

You could also get free hours childcare when your child is aged 2 to 4. You might be able to apply for:

• free education and childcare for 2 year olds
• 15 hours free childcare for 3 to 4 year olds
• 30 hours free childcare for 3 to 4 year olds

You can only get childcare vouchers if you have already joined a scheme.

• Check the rules for childcare vouchers

How to apply and get a code for 30 hours free childcare.

Check if you’re eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, how to apply and how to pay your childcare provider.

The Care to Learn scheme can help with childcare costs while you study.

You must be aged under 20 at the start of your course.

The scheme is available for publicly-funded courses in England. This includes courses in:

• schools
• sixth-forms in schools
• sixth-form colleges

Click here to find out what you'll get

You may be eligible for help with your childcare costs if you:

• are a full-time higher education student
• have children under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs

The grant:

• does not have to be paid back
• is paid on top of your other student finance

You must be eligible for student finance to apply for a Childcare Grant.

Click here to find out what you'll get

You can calculate your childcare costs to report to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

If you already claim tax credits and your childcare costs have changed, you might need to report the change

Tax credits have been replaced by Universal Credit for most people. Check if you can make a new claim for tax credits

You can no longer make a new claim for tax credits.

You may be able to claim Universal Credit instead.

If you already get tax credits you can still make a claim for Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.

To do this, you’ll need to update your existing tax credit claim.

Some changes may stop your tax credits. If your tax credits stop, you cannot claim tax credits again.

Check how tax credits and other benefits affect each other.

Estimate your tax credits claim. This calculator:

• only gives an estimate
• cannot tell you if a change in your circumstances could end your tax credits