What is Universal Credit Childcare support?
Universal Credit (UC) Childcare provides financial support to households to help meet some of their eligible childcare costs enabling them to take up or progress in work.
Eligibility for UC childcare costs
Parents must be on Universal Credit and either in paid work or starting a job in the next month. If they live with a partner, they both need to be in paid work. There are some exceptions to this which they can discuss with their Work Coach.
How much parents can get
Parents have to pay for their childcare costs first, then report them through their Universal Credit account and will be paid some of the money back in their next Universal Credit payment.
Parents can receive up to 85% of their childcare costs back after they have paid you. The maximum amount for each four week period is:
- £1,014.63 for 1 child
- £1,739.37 for 2 or more children
What customers need from you
Parents are required to provide proof of their childcare provider and payments to claim childcare costs back.
As proof of their provider, they need a contract, invoice or letter from you showing all of these:
- your name, registration number, address and phone number
- the names of the children you look after
- the type of childcare, for example after-school or nursery care
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may also ask to see proof of parents' payments to you showing:
- the dates of childcare paid for
- how much they paid
- the date they made the payment.
Parents can provide a paid invoice showing all of this, or a combination of:
- bank statements
- receipts from you, the provider
- invoices from you, the provider.
What organisations are accepted as providers?
To be an approved provider, you must be registered with one of the following depending on where in the UK you are based:
- England: Ofsted
- Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales
- Scotland: Care Inspectorate
- Northern Ireland: Family Support Northern Ireland
Child-minders registered with a Child-Minding Agency (CMA) are also allowed.
Further information can be found at Universal Credit childcare costs - GOV.UK.