Struggling parents can get up to £2,000 a year to help with childcare costs

Millions of parents can get extra help to ease the struggles of money during the cost of living crisis.

Extra help is available which include tax breaks, free childcare hours and even government grants.

To tap into government assistance, you will need to use an approved childcare provider.

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Nurseries, pre-schools, nannies, childminders, registered schools and clubs can be approved.

You can also use the Ofsted website to check too.

The government has a childcare costs calculator to help you find out how much you can save.

Here are a number of ways to get money as a parent.

Tax-free childcare

Working parents earning less than £100,000 get up to £500 every three months, up to a maximum of £2,000 yearly.

You can put money into an account and for every £1, the government adds 25p.

Parents with a disabled child can get double the amount and it runs until the September 1 after their 16th birthday.

You can't claim tax-free childcare if you get working tax credit, child tax credit, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers.

Tax credits stop immediately if you successfully apply for tax-free childcare.

And you'll also have to cancel your Universal Credit and childcare vouchers.

Universal Credit childcare costs

If you claim Universal Credit, you could get a refund on childcare costs.

You can also claim back 85% of childcare costs up to £646 a month for one child, or £1,108.04 for two or more.

This works out at around £969 over the six weeks of the summer holidays.

Currently you have to pay your childcare costs yourself up front and then claim the money back.

But this is changing and parents on Universal Credit will get a monthly £522 boost to payments from June 28.

At the same time, childcare costs will be paid for upfront.

15 hours free childcare

All three to four-year-old children are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare – from the term after their 3rd birthday.

The free allowance is usually taken as 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year, but that can be changed to suit you.

For example, taking fewer hours over more weeks.

The free hours must be with an approved childcare provider and stops when your child starts school.

Parents are expected to cover extra costs like meals, nappies or trips.

30 hours free childcare

Working parents may be eligible to get a further 15 hours of free childcare for their three to four-year-olds.

To qualify you must be working at least 16 hours a week and earning the National Minimum Wage or more.

You can get 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year – during school term time.

And you might be able to get free childcare for 52 weeks if you use fewer than 30 hours per week.

Check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer.

You can apply online through the government's website.

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Free childcare for two-year-olds

Parents in England and claiming certain benefits can also access free childcare for their two-year-olds.

You are entitled to the extra free childcare if you already receive:

  • 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
  • Tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
  • The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

However, you may still have to cover extra costs like meals, nappies or trips.

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