CHILD'S PAY
Map reveals how much school holiday childcare has risen where you are, as average costs hits £1,000 – full list of help
In some areas childcare costs have hit £216 a week
CHILDCARE costs over the school summer holidays have hit £1,000 on average for the first time, new research reveals
Families face a typical weekly bill of £175 per child, new figures published today by charity Coram Family and Childcare show.
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It found families in the UK pay on average £1,049 for six weeks of holiday childcare for a school-age child.
That's up 6% on last year meaning parents are forking out £100 more.
It's also £635 more than they would pay for six weeks of after-school childcare during term time.
The research is based on surveys from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales between April and June.
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The average cost of a place at a holiday club in the UK is now approximately £175 per week – 2.5 times higher than the cost of an after-school club during term time, the charity said.
The report found that child care costs differ significantly between regions - with some families facing the pinch more than others.
In the South-East of England the average daily cost for childcare comes in at £216 per week - or £1,234 for the whole of the school holidays.
Wales has the highest weekly price at £209, followed by England at £173 and Scotland at £167.
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Surprisingly, London had one of the lowest holiday child care costs at only £153 a week.
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Fewer than a fifth of local authorities in England have enough holiday childcare provision for full-time working parents and costs have risen since last year, according to the research
Availability of provision in England has fallen this year, the survey found, with just 17% of local authorities reporting that they have enough holiday childcare for parents working full-time “in all areas” compared to 24% in 2023.
In England, just 3% of local authorities said they had enough holiday childcare for disabled children in all areas.
HELP WITH CHILDCARE COSTS
Parents can apply for help with childcare costs in a number of ways.
From government tax breaks and free childcare hours, we've rounded up all the support on offer.
Universal Credit
If you are on Universal Credit you can get some of the child care costs back.
How much support you are entitled to will depend on your financial circumstances and it can only cover care with registered providers
The most you'll be able to claim is £1,521 for one child or £2,609 for two or more children.
Check out more on who's eligible and how to apply.
Everything you need to know about Universal Credit
- What is Universal Credit? Everything you need to know including how to apply
- Universal Credit calculator: How much can I claim and how do I apply?
- Universal Credit login: How do I sign in to my online account?
- How much can I earn before Universal Credit is reduced and do I get a work allowance?
- What is a Universal Credit advance payment? How to apply and pay it back
- Are Universal Credit payments going up and how much more will I get?
- How to claim Universal Credit if you’re self-employed
- How many hours can I work on Universal Credit and will my payment be reduced?
- What is a Universal Credit budgeting advance and how much could I get?
- What is the Universal Credit housing element and how much of your rent does it pay?
Working Tax Credit
If you’re someone who already gets tax credits, you can claim extra Working Tax Credit to cover some of the cost of childcare.
To qualify, you’ll need to be in approved childcare, and it must be in person rather than online.
You will get up to £122.50 a week for one child or £210 a week for two or more children.
Tax-free childcare
You can receive up to £2,000 per year for each of your children to help cover childcare costs through this scheme.
If your child is disabled, this amount increases to up to £4,000 per year.
Over the six-week summer break, this perk is worth around £230.
You can use the money for approved childcare including childminders, nurseries, nannies, after school clubs, and play schemes.
Check out more on how the scheme works and how to apply.
Free child care hours
The government has several free childcare schemes where parents can claim a set numbers of free hours each week.
All three to four-year-olds get 570 free hours per year and all parents can claim it, regardless of their income.
So if you haven't claimed the hours you are eligible for, you can used them to cover the cost
Working parents of children aged between nine months and two years old will also be able to access 15 hours of free childcare from September.
Here's everything you need to know.
If your children are on free school meals
For children aged four and older who receive benefits-related free school meals, the government's Holiday Activities and Food scheme provides at least four weeks of holiday childcare over the summer, along with meals.
Child benefit
You can claim child benefit if you have a child who is under 16 or under 20 and in approved education, such as sixth form.
You get a set amount per child, and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.
You get £25.60 a week for an eldest or only child, and £16.95 per week for every child thereafter.
Over the summer break, this adds up to £153.60 for one child and £101.70 for each younger child.
If you or your partner earns over £60,000, you’ll have to start paying some of the benefit back. If either earns over £80,000 then you’ll get none of the benefit.
It’s often still worth applying for, though, because you get other benefits such as NI credits. This is really important if one partner is a stay-at-home parent.
NI credits help to top up any gaps in your NI record so your state pension entitlement isn't affected.
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The money is paid back from the higher earner via tax return, or you can tick a box that says you want to apply, but don’t want to receive any of the money.
This means you keep the benefits without the admin hassle of repayments and doing self-assessment.
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