826,000 families boost finances with childcare savings
Source: gov.uk (2025-06-06)

Working families encouraged to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare to save up to £2,000 a year per child on their childcare bills.

- Almost 826,000 UK families shared £632.2 million in government top-ups towards their childcare bills with Tax-Free Childcare in the 2024 to 2025 tax year
- Working families urged to sign up now to give their summer plans a financial boost
- Supporting the government’s mission to grow the economy and deliver on the Plan for Change
Nearly 826,000 working families saved up to £2,000 per child with Tax-Free Childcare in the 2024 to 2025 tax year. The money helps families pay for their childcare, as part of the government’s Plan for Change to put more money in people’s pockets.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging those yet to sign up for Tax-Free Childcare (https://www.gov.uk/get-tax-free-childcare), to do it now and give their summer plans a financial boost.

Latest figures from HMRC show in March 2025, 579,560 families in the UK used the scheme to save on their annual childcare bills, an increase of 81,770 families compared to the previous March.

Working families who sign up to Tax-Free Childcare can boost their annual budget by up to £2,000 per child up to the age of 11 or up to £4,000 up to the age of 16 for a disabled child.

Parents can use the scheme to help towards the cost of approved childcare whether that’s nursery for younger children, or for older children – wraparound or after school care clubs during term time or holiday clubs for the long summer holidays ahead.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

Summer can be an expensive time if you have children. Whatever you’re planning, Tax-Free Childcare can give your plans a welcome financial boost. Go to GOV.UK to start saving today.

For every £8 deposited in a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government tops it by £2, which means parents can receive up to £500 (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) every 3 months towards paying for their childcare costs.

Once families have opened a Tax-Free Childcare account, they can deposit money and use it straight away or keep it in the account to use it whenever it’s needed. Any unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time.

Families could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if they:
- have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being eligible on 1 September after their 11th birthday. If their child has a disability, they receive up to £4,000 a year until 1 September after their 16th birthday
- the parent and their partner (if they have one) earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average
- each earn no more than £100,000 per annum
- do not receive Universal Credit or childcare vouchers
Visit GOV.UK to check eligibility and register for Tax-Free Childcare (https://www.gov.uk/get-tax-free-childcare).

Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside the free childcare hours subject to eligibility.

Further Information

Latest Tax-Free Childcare statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-free-childcare-quarterly-statistics) with data available up until March 2025 were released 28 May.

More information about Tax-Free Childcare (https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare) and how to register.

Each eligible child requires their own Tax-Free Childcare account. If families have more than one eligible child, they will need to register an account for each child. The government top-up is then applied to deposits made for each child, not household.

Account holders must confirm their details are up to date every 3 months to continue receiving the government top-up.

Childcare providers can also sign up for a childcare provider account via GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sign-up-to-tax-free-childcare-if-youre-a-childcare-provider) to receive payments from parents and carers via the scheme.