Childcare Voucher Government Guidance

Extract from Government Guidance:

If you get are eligible for working tax credits (and claim them) you can claim child tax credits

 

How to claim

You can only make a claim for Child Tax Credit if you already get Working Tax Credit.

If you get Working Tax Credit

To claim Child Tax Credit, update your existing tax credit claim.

Update your claim by reporting a change in your circumstances.

If you do not get Working Tax Credit

You cannot apply for Child Tax Credit.

You can apply for Universal Credit instead.

If you're eligible to claim universal credit, the following guidance is applicable:

If you get support with childcare costs

You must:

  • report your childcare costs when you pay them
  • prove you’ve paid your childcare provider

You’ll need to show proof of your childcare provider for each child. You can use an invoice or contract that includes the provider’s registration number and full contact details - ParentPay extract of sessions booked should be sufficient.

You’ll also need to prove:

  • the amount you paid to your childcare provider
  • when you made the payment
  • the dates this payment covers

You’ll need to provide evidence such as bank statements, receipts or invoices from your childcare provider. You can show more than one piece of evidence to prove everything that’s needed. For example, you can use a bank statement to prove the date and amount you paid and an invoice to prove the time period this payment covers.

You can report childcare costs and provide proof that you’ve paid by signing in to your Universal Credit account.

You’ll usually get the childcare amount in your next Universal Credit payment.

If you pay for childcare after it’s been provided, you can claim up to 3 months of past costs at a time. There may be a limit to how much you get back if you claim for more than one month’s fees at a time.

If you pay for childcare in advance, you can claim up to 3 months of advance costs at a time. You’ll be paid back in your monthly Universal Credit payments during the months the childcare is for.