Local MP Backs Extension To Government Schemes Which Reduce Childcare Costs For Families

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has welcomed the news that the Government’s tax-free childcare roll out has now been extended to parents with children under 9 years old.

The roll out started in April 2017, and helps working parents with up to £2,000 of support per child per year, or £4,000 for disabled children.

The scheme has now been extended to cover parents whose youngest child is under 9 years old, and will be extended further next month to families with children under 12 years old – meaning all eligible parents will be able to apply for Tax-Free Childcare will be able to do so before the end of the tax year.

Parents, including the self-employed, can apply online for Tax-Free Childcare by visiting Childcare Choices. A childcare calculator is also available through Childcare Choices, which helps parents to choose which Government childcare support is best for them.

In addition to introducing Tax-Free Childcare, the Government has also doubled the amount of free childcare available to working parents to 30 hours a week.

Since opening the childcare service, through which parents apply for 30 hours free childcare and Tax-Free Childcare, more than 325,000 customers have successfully applied and are now using the service. Of these, more than 170,000 have a Tax-Free Childcare account.

Justin Tomlinson MP said: “The Government is doing more to help parents with childcare costs than ever before. In 2019/20 the Government will be spending £6bn on childcare support, a record amount. Supporting parents with childcare costs is vital, and am pleased to see the Government is doing just that.”

You can find out more about the options available via https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/