Paying for Childcare

• Nursery education funding for 3 to 4 year olds
• Discounts on childcare
• Child Tax Credit / Working Tax Credit
• Childcare funding for students

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Nursery education for 3-4 year-olds

If your child is three or four years old they are entitled to a part time, funded nursery educated place, of up to five sessions a week.  Each session is for two and a half hours, usually a morning or afternoon.  The childcare provider need to be accredited to receive the Nursery Education Grant, but can be a pre-school, nursery or Childminder.

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Discounts on childcare

From time to time childcare providers offer discounts to NHS employees. (These are usually for a limited period of time).

Discuss this with your chosen childcare provider directly.

Please note: Discounts are not intended as a recommendation; all registered childcare providers are inspected by OFSTED.  If you would like to know more about the qualifications of your childcare service ask to see their registration certificate and visit www.ofsted.gov.uk Alternatively contact your local Children’s Information Service. (See the Guide to Finding Childcare for telephone numbers).

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Child Tax and Working Tax Credit

You are entitled to claim the Child Tax Credit and the Working Tax Credit; this is broken down as follows:

Child Tax Credit

• Family Element
• Family Element – baby addition
• Child Element
• Disabled Child Element
• Enhanced Disabled Child Element

Working Tax Credit

• Top up to wages of low income
• Childcare element – this may be worth up to 70% of your eligible childcare fees.

To find out more and to apply please contact the Inland Revenue helpline on 0845 300 3900 or access: www.hmrc.gov.uk

How are tax credits paid?
Child Tax Credit is paid direct into a bank or building society account. Working Tax Credit is also paid direct to self-employed claimants.

If you are employed, your employer will normally pay any Working Tax Credit (apart from the ‘childcare element’) with your pay. From April 2006 payment through employers has been replaced with payments into a bank or building society account.

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Childcare grant allowance for students

There is a new childcare allowance for NHS-funded students to help with childcare costs during their studies. Parents who are interested in becoming nurses, midwives or physiotherapists will know that the NHS can make a significant contribution to childcare costs.

Under the scheme up to 85% of childcare costs will be met, helping around 6,000 students a year. Up to £114 per week for students with one child or £170 per week for two or more children could be available. The allowance will be means tested and eligible students, both existing and new, will be able to claim help with childcare costs from September 2004.

This funding will help NHS students who face difficulties when training due to increased financial commitments, including childcare costs. Help with childcare costs will be for children under 15, and under 17 if the child has special needs.

Access: www.surestart.gov.uk

To find out more please call 0845 009 2559.

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