The Government has extended childcare funding for families affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.
Parents or carers who are usually eligible for Tax-Free Childcare or 30 Hours Free Childcare but whose income has fallen temporarily below the minimum income requirement as a consequence of Coronavirus will continue to receive support until 31 October 2020.
Meanwhile, critical workers whose incomes increased above the income threshold for the 2020-21 tax year as a result of working more hours to tackle the pandemic will continue to receive support for the duration of the current tax year.
Tax-Free Childcare offers parents and carers a Government top-up with £2 for every £8 paid into a child’s account up to a maximum of £2,000 per child, or £4,000 per disabled child, in financial support. The funds can be used to pay for qualifying childcare for children up to the age of 11, or 17 for disabled children.
The 30 Hours Free Childcare scheme is provided by the Department for Education (DfE) for eligible three and four-year-olds in England and benefited nearly 350,000 children in January 2020.
Parents must reconfirm their eligibility for the two schemes every three months to continue receiving support.
