Childcare costs in Glasgow can take up funds in a family budget. However, there are support opportunities for parents and their children from the government and employers.
The government launched Tax-Free Childcare in 2017 to help eligible families save on childcare costs. It replaces childcare vouchers for new applicants.
What is tax-free Childcare?
Tax-free Childcare is a UK-wide scheme that helps working families save on childcare costs. It offers 20% support towards approved Childcare, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year (or £4,000 if the child is disabled).
Parents can open an online account which they can use to pay their registered childcare providers directly. The government will add to their accounts every time they pay up to the maximum amount.
A parent or carer can have multiple accounts and deposit money into each performance. The government will top each statement with 20% of their childcare costs, up to the maximum amount.
Parents can claim up to three children for Tax-Free Childcare. This support can help with the cost of nursery, childminder and after-school care fees for up to 30 hours a week. This can be a massive saving for many families.
How does tax-free childcare work?
Tax-free Childcare is a government scheme introduced in 2017 to replace the existing childcare voucher scheme. It offers tax and National Insurance relief to qualifying parents who pay money into an online account to cover their childcare costs.
Once parents have registered, they can transfer cash into their accounts through a debit card, standing order, or bank transfer. This is added to the report by the government and you can then use it as you wish to pay for Childcare in Glasgow.
You can also make payments from your accounts to nannies and childcare providers. These are similar to paying a regular standing order but the price can take three to four days to reach your childcare provider’s bank account.
The disadvantage of Tax-Free Childcare is that it is only available to parents with children younger than 11 or 17 (if a child has a disability). This is much lower than the 15 year old limit for childcare vouchers.
Who is eligible for tax-free Childcare?
Tax-Free Childcare is available to work with parents with children under 12 (or under 17 if disabled). It’s a UK-wide scheme covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The government contributes 20% of childcare costs up to a maximum of £2,000 per year, or £4,000 for a child with a disability. It runs through an online account, which you can pay into to cover the cost of approved Childcare with a registered provider.
Depending on your family’s income, you can receive a top-up worth £500 every three months or £2,000 yearly. When you deposit money, this top-up is automatically applied to the account and should be received instantly.
You can only apply for Tax-Free Childcare if you don’t already get any support through a childcare voucher or directly contracted childcare scheme, such as Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit. If you do apply, your claim for these benefits will stop within 90 days of submitting your TFC application.
Can I claim tax-free Childcare?
To claim tax-free Childcare, you and your partner must each earn £100,000 or less each year. You can use your savings to pay for a variety of child care, such as day care, nanny, preschool, before-school and after-school care and summer camps.
You can also claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit if you are on maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave or you are unable to work because of a disability or caring responsibilities. You must have proof that you paid for child care to get the credit.
Child Tax Credit Additional Information
Child tax credit is an income tax rebate for children under 18. It is helpful for families in the UK to help reduce the income tax bill. It is paid to parents, carers or grandparents who need it to cover childcare costs.
The tax credit is calculated based on the number of children you have, their age and any disabilities your child has. If you have any income outside of these things, the amount of tax credit you get will be reduced, so it’s important to keep HMRC up to date with your income and family circumstances.
If you and your partner claim for your children, only one of you can get child tax credits. This should be the person who is mainly responsible for your children. If you cannot decide who to claim for, contact your local Citizens Advice Service – an adviser can help you.
You can claim child benefit and child tax credit for your children up to the point they turn 16. It will stop automatically on 31 August after their 16th birthday, unless you tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that they are in full-time approved education or training.
Child allowances for children living abroad cost the UK taxpayer over PS55 million a year or over PS1 million a week.
The government has cut many welfare programmes since 2010. This includes cuts to tax credits, which have impacted on the labour supply of working families. However, it’s difficult to measure the impact of these changes.
Child Tax Benefit in the UK
Child benefits are a means-tested benefit that helps to support families. The amount you get depends on your circumstances, but it can be particularly helpful for parents who have to pay for childcare.
You can claim child tax credit for your children until they turn 16 or up to 20 if they are in full-time education or training, and don’t receive any other benefits. You can also claim if your child is severely disabled.
Two-child limit policy
From 6 April 2017, the Government introduced a two-child limit policy for child tax credit, universal credit and housing benefit. This means that if you have a third or subsequent child born on or after this date, you may not get paid the child element of CTC for them unless an exception applies (for example if they have a disability element or help with their childcare costs).
It’s important to report any changes to your circumstances to HMRC as soon as possible. This will help them work out your entitlement and ensure you’re not overpaid or underpaid in any way.
High income child benefit charge
The changes to the two-child limit policy mean that if you have an individual income of PS50,000 or more, you’ll need to pay a tax charge to cancel out part of your child benefit. This will effectively reduce your total child benefit payment by 63p for every PS1 you earn above the threshold.
The change has raised controversy, with many experts saying that it’s discriminatory against British workers. However, HM Revenue & Customs has said that it is in line with EU law.
