Nearly 826,000 working families saved up to £2,000 per child with
Tax-Free Childcare in the 2024 to 2025 tax year. The money helps
families pay for their childcare, as part of the government's
Plan for Change to put more money in people's pockets.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging those yet to
sign up for Tax-Free
Childcare, to do it now and give their summer plans a
financial boost.
Latest figures from HMRC show in March 2025, 579,560
families in the UK used the scheme to save on their annual
childcare bills, an increase of 81,770 families compared to the
previous March.
Working families who sign up to Tax-Free Childcare can boost
their annual budget by up to £2,000 per child up to the age of 11
or up to £4,000 up to the age of 16 for a disabled child.
Parents can use the scheme to help towards the cost of approved
childcare whether that's nursery for younger children, or for
older children – wraparound or after school care clubs during
term time or holiday clubs for the long summer holidays ahead.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's
Director General for Customer Services, said:
Summer can be an expensive time if you have children. Whatever
you're planning, Tax-Free Childcare can give your plans a welcome
financial boost. Go to GOV.UK to start saving today.
For every £8 deposited in a Tax-Free Childcare account, the
government tops it by £2, which means parents can receive up to
£500 (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) every 3 months
towards paying for their childcare costs.
Once families have opened a Tax-Free Childcare account, they can
deposit money and use it straight away or keep it in the account
to use it whenever it's needed. Any unused money in the account
can be withdrawn at any time.
Families could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if
they:
- have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being
eligible on 1 September after their 11th birthday. If their child
has a disability, they receive up to £4,000 a year until 1
September after their 16th birthday
- the parent and their partner (if they have one) earn, or
expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage
for 16 hours a week, on average
- each earn no more than £100,000 per annum
- do not receive Universal Credit or childcare
vouchers
Visit GOV.UK to check eligibility and register for Tax-Free Childcare.
Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside the free childcare hours
subject to eligibility.
Further Information
Latest Tax-Free Childcare
statistics with data available up until March 2025 were
released 28 May.
More information about Tax-Free Childcare and how
to register.
Each eligible child requires their own Tax-Free Childcare
account. If families have more than one eligible child, they will
need to register an account for each child. The government top-up
is then applied to deposits made for each child, not household.
Account holders must confirm their details are up to date every 3
months to continue receiving the government top-up.
Childcare providers can also sign up for a childcare provider account
via GOV.UK to receive payments from parents and carers via
the scheme.
