Ways To Claim

Tax-Free Childcare

Tax-free childcare is a Government scheme to help eligible working families save on their childcare costs. Eligible working parents and carers can get up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year per child).

Universal Credits

You may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credits. You (and your partner if you live with them) will usually need to either:

be working – it does not matter how many hours you or your partner work
have a job offer

Early Years Funding

Universal funding for 3 & 4 year olds

The majority of 3 year olds are entitled to a maximum of 570 hours funded childcare per year, the term after they turn 3 years of age and until they reach statutory school age. This is known as the universal entitlement. This entitlement equates to 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year (Term time offer), or fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year (stretched offer). At Little Footsteps our stretched offer is 11 hours per week for 51.8 weeks a year.

2 year old Funding if you claim benefits

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get any of the following benefits:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

2-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:

are looked after by a local authority
have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
get Disability Living Allowance
have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

Expanded funding for children from 9 months of age

Currently, eligible working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds can access 30 hours of childcare support,

Eligible working parents of 2-year-olds are also now able to access 15 hours childcare support. This entitlement equates to 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year (Term time offer), or fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year (stretched offer).

From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents with a child from 9-months-old (the term after they reach 9 months of age).

From September 2025 eligible working parents with a child from 9-months-old can access 30 hours of childcare support

Help Pay for Childcare

Help with the cost of paying for approved childcare – Tax-Free Childcare, 15 and 30 hours childcare, childcare vouchers, tax credits, Learner Support.