Help with childcare

Jobcentre Plus can help you with your childcare costs to remove the barriers preventing you from accepting a job offer or starting self-employment. You could receive up to £1194 per month for one child or up to £2047 per month for two or more children. 

You may be able to claim up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credit, Income Support, Job Seekers allowance or Employment and Support Allowance and some other qualifying benefits.

Childcare support is paid in arrears because Jobcentre Plus pays for the hours that you have used. As extra support to help you start work, Jobcentre Plus can help you fund the upfront costs up to a month until you get paid. They will usually ask you to report your childcare costs online.

Depending upon the age of your child you could receive free government childcare funding. Jobcentre Plus may be able to pay the difference between your free entitlements and the cost of your childcare.

Upfront childcare costs

Upfront childcare costs are any costs that you incur in relation to childcare between starting work and receiving your first wage. Examples include:

• Parents starting work
  
• Deposits / one off advance payment
  
• Retainer to secure a place
  
• Taster / settling in sessions
  
• Up-front fees in advance of the childcare being provided
• Work related training

To cover upfront childcare costs, you may be entitled to:

• £278 per week for one child (up to a daily limit of £56)
• £476 per week for two or more children (up to a daily limit of £96)

There are forms that must be completed before we can release the funds, so do not agree to anything until you have checked with your Work Coach. Payments are made directly to the childcare provider.

Childcare Jobcentre Plus will pay for

Jobcentre Plus will pay for childcare provided by any registered or approved childcare provider such as:

• Nurseries
  
• Childminders
• Day care services
  
• School-based care
  
• Holiday playschemes
  
• Or a combination of any of these

Contact Jobcentre Plus

To find your nearest Jobcentre, click here. 

To contact Jobcentre Plus to make an appointment or to find out more information, click here.