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Working parents can now apply for the government’s 30-hours offer and tax-free childcare scheme using a new digital service.

 

The tax-free childcare has been rolled out to parents of children who will be aged under four on 31 August 2017, as well as all parents of disabled children under 17 years-old.

 

Parents of children aged two- to three-years-old can also apply for the 30-hour offer ahead of the scheme’s rollout in September. Parents can apply for both schemes at the same time via the government’s childcare service.

 

Under tax-free childcare, the government will pay a top-up of £2 on every £8 paid into a tax-free childcare account, which parents can then use to pay registered providers. The government will pay in up to £2,000 each year for parents of children under 12 years-old, and up to £4,000 for parents of disabled children. The scheme will be extended throughout the year, with all eligible parents able to receive it by the end of 2017.

 

The 30-hours offer will also be rolled out to parents of three and four-year-olds in England from September onwards.

 

The government claims that the 30-hours offer will save parents around £5,000 a year in childcare costs. However, a recent survey conducted by the Alliance suggested that only 44% of providers are likely to offer the funded hours.