How to get FREE or cheap childcare

PARENTS struggling to afford childcare as the cost of living crisis continues to bite could be missing out on help worth thousands of pounds.

We explain how to get free or cheap childcare – from tax free benefits to parent sharing.

The cost of living crisis is making it harder for parents to afford essential childcareCredit: Getty

Childcare is an unavoidable fee for many – unless you have friends and family on deck to help out, which isn’t always possible.

The average nursery place now costs an eye-watering £7,000 a year, and fees are only going up.

Which? found that the cost childcare for children under two has increased by 2.5%, and that one in four parents are having to cut down on essentials such as food and heating just to afford it.

But there is some help available for families, and you may even be able to get free childcare in some cases.

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Here’s how to make the most of the help available to you.

Free child care hours

Depending on the age of your child and your own circumstances, you could get free help.

The government has a scheme for parents to access childcare if their children are two-years old or younger.

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You may have to pay for extra costs like meals, nappies or trips, but the care itself is free.

Eligibility applies, and you can check the full list of criteria on the government’s website.

If your child is three or four-years old, you could still be eligible for 30 hours’ free help from an approved provider every term time week funded by the government.

This is for 38 weeks a year, but parents can choose to take fewer hours to spread the support over more weeks.

You can start your application here.

Parents are entitled to tax-free childcare for kids up to the age of 11, and can get cash from Universal Credit for kids up to the age of 16.

You can get up to £500 every three months, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year, for each of your children.

The amount goes up to £1,000 every three months if a child is disabled, to a maximum of £4,000 a year.

Universal Credit and Tax Credit

Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit provides extra support for families where the government gives the claimant extra money towards paying for childcare.

To qualify for Working Tax Credit, the claimant and their partner have to work at least 16 hours a week.

Those entitled to carer’s allowance, in prison, in hospital, or incapacitated may not have to work.

You can save a maximum of 70% towards childcare costs, up to £175 a week for one child, or £300 for two or more children.

And those on Universal Credit can grab 85% towards their childcare costs, up to £646 a month for one child, or £1,108 for two or more children.

You can apply here.

Tax-free childcare

Tax-free childcare is available to parents who work – and both parents must be working to be eligible.

Based on the childcare costs, the government offers a top up.

And some can claim up to £500 for each child every three months if they are cared for by an approved provider.

To get fax free childcare, you’ll need to set up an online childcare account.

For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will contribute £2 towards paying your childcare provider.

Those who claim 30 hours free child care can make the most of tax free childcare at the same time, as long as the person is eligible for both.

Child benefits claimants

You can get Child Benefit if you’re responsible for a child aged under 16, or if they are under 20 and in approved education or training.

The free money is paid every four weeks, and there’s no limit to how many children you can apply for – though only one person can claim for each child.

But do note that those who earn more than £50,000 a year may need to pay back some of their Child Benefit in tax.

While this help isn’t directly for childcare, the money can help to cut costs.