Fees and Funding Summer 2026 - Woodlands - Flipbook - Page 14
Universal credit childcare
Universal Credit can help with the costs of childcare. You may be able to claim up to 85% of your registered childcare costs if you’re eligible for
Universal Credit, in paid work or due to start a job in the next month.
You have to pay for your childcare costs yourself unless you are eligible for an initial up-front childcare cost payment. You then report them
through your Universal Credit account and will be paid some of the money back in your next Universal Credit payment. You can get up to 85%
of childcare costs paid back to you. The maximum amount for each assessment period is:
£1,031.88 for one child
£1,768.94 for 2 or more children
You will only get the money back with Universal Credit after the childcare actually happens.
You usually report your childcare costs in your online Universal Credit account. You can do this when you first make a claim, or at any point in
your claim.
You need to:
provide proof of which childcare provider you use. This must be with Ofsted ‘registered’ childcare providers.
tell Universal Credit the dates of childcare you paid for, how much you paid and the date you made the payment
provide proof of payment
Report your childcare costs as soon as possible after paying them. If you leave it for longer than 2 assessment periods, you might not get
the money back
