Tax free childcare UK
Show your support
If you have got a code (looked on your profile and you should be eligible for 15hrs from January as your LO is 10mths) then your account is automatically set up, you can set up providers through your childcare account, just go to the tax free childcare section. I think this is because if you are eligible for 15hrs then you are eligible for tax free automatically. Have a look at ‘childcare choices’ website for more info, you can put in your details and it will tell you what you’re eligible for x
You'll need to add a provider to the tax free childcare account because you pay the provider from that account then the money goes from the govt into that account. It's like a savings account. The code you get should be for both and if you're eligible for tax free it's automatically added to your govt childcare account. So the account will get set up but nothing will happen with it until you've added a provider and added money to it
Usually there are very long wait lists so not worth applying until you have a space as can take a year
They won’t let you create a tax free account until within a month of your return to work date. Assuming you’re still on maternity leave. We have our childminder sorted for Feb next year and went to pay the first months fee via the tax free account, because I’m not returning to work until Feb we’re not eligible for the tax free account until jan. I hope that makes sense
Yeah so I'm due back to work 28th October, but we move that day so I'm on annual leave until mid November (like 12 days back at work) then off until January. We've got some nurseries/childminder viewings booked the week we move and they've got a space but I Guess I'll find out in a few weeks
Even if you're on annual leave thay counts as being returned - I took a month of leave after 'returning' and that worked fine
If I remember rightly it does ask you for your provider when signing up, but once set up you can remove that provider and add another really easily (you can also have more than one at a time).