Get help with childcare costs for Easter

As the Easter holiday approaches, HMRC is reminding parents that they may be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) to help pay for regulated childcare, including holiday clubs and other out-of-school activities.

The TFC scheme can help parents of children aged up to 11 years old (17 for those with certain disabilities). The TFC scheme helps support working families with their childcare costs. There are many registered childcare providers including childminders, after school clubs and approved play schemes signed up across the UK. Parents can pay into their account regularly and use their TFC allowance towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes.

The TFC scheme provides a government top-up based on parental contributions. For every £8 contributed by parents an additional £2 top up payment will be funded by Government up to a maximum total of £10,000 per child per year. This will give parents annual savings of up to £2,000 per child (and up to £4,000 for disabled children until the age of 17) in childcare costs.

The TFC scheme is open to all qualifying parents including the self-employed and those on a minimum wage. It will also benefit parents on paid sick leave as well as those on paid and unpaid statutory maternity, paternity and adoption leave. To be eligible to use the scheme, parents will have to be in work at least 16 hours per week and earn at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage. If either parent earns more than £100,000, both parents are unable to use the scheme.

HM Treasury’s Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:

‘There are lots of brilliant holiday clubs and childcare providers to help working parents during the Easter holidays, and Tax-Free Childcare is a great offer that can help cut the childcare bills.’