Help with childcare costs

You can get up to £500 every 3 months for each of your children. This amounts up to £2,000 a year to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year). 

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider.

You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as The Childcare Offer for Wales if you’re eligible for both.

You can use it to pay for approved childcare, for example:

• childminders, nurseries and nannies
• after school clubs and play schemes

Your childcare provider must be signed up to the scheme before you can pay them and benefit from Tax-Free Childcare. Check with your provider to see if they’re signed up.

Children with Disabilities

If your child is disabled and usually lives with you, you may get up to £4,000 a year. This support continues until 1 September after their 16th birthday. They’re eligible for this if they:

• Get Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Child Disability Payment (Scotland only) or Adult Disability Payment (Scotland only)
• Are certified as blind or severely sight-impaired

You can use the extra Tax-Free Childcare money to:

• Pay for more childcare hours.
• Help your childcare provider buy specialist equipment, like mobility aids.

Talk to them about what equipment your child can get.

For more information and eligibility:

The Childcare Offer funds nursery education and childcare for 3 to 4 year olds, before they start full-time education.

In the Vale of Glamorgan, it is made up of 12.5 hours per week in a school nursery and 17.5 hours per week of funding at a registered childcare provider in term time.

In the school holidays, you will receive up to 30 hours per week of funding at a childcare provider. This is only for three weeks per term (9 holiday weeks in total per year). A total of 48 weeks of funded childcare per year.  

Extra help is available through the Additional Support Grant (ASG). This supports eligible children with additional needs, so ensure they can benefit from the Offer.

For more information please visit the Vale of Glamorgan Childcare Offer web page:

The 2-year-old childcare offer provides 12.5 hours of childcare per week during term time. Children will start the offer from the term after their second birthday until the term after their third birthday.

Childcare can be offered in both Flying Start Settings, and in private childcare settings. They must be registered to provide the 2-year-old childcare offer.

For more information please visit the Vale of Glamorgan Flying Start web page:

Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or you cannot work. 

If you pay for childcare while you go to work, Universal Credit can pay some of your childcare costs. This includes holiday clubs, after-school clubs and breakfast clubs. If you live with a partner, you both need to be working, unless your partner cannot look after your children. You can get up to 85% of childcare costs paid back to you. 

You may be able to get help from the Flexible Support Fund if you have to pay upfront childcare costs and one of the following applies: 

• you’re starting work

• you’re increasing the hours you work, for example you’ve moved from part-time work to full-time work

 For more information:

If you’re over 19 you might need to pay tuition fees. Most Further Education (FE) colleges offer free or discounted tuition to:

• learners from low income families
• disabled learners
• learners on benefits

You may also be eligible for a Welsh Government Learning Grant from Student Finance Wales. 

You may be able to receive help with the cost of childcare while you are studying. Contact your school or college for more information.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to receive 85% of your childcare costs. This is towards the cost of registered or approved childcare. 

You can apply for the childcare grant if you:

• have at least one child under 15 who depends on you financially, or under 17 if they have special educational needs
• are using a childcare provider registered by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
• are attending a full-time or part-time course (including a distance learning course). You must also me getting undergraduate student finance that depends on your household income.

You can’t apply if you:

• claim the childcare element of Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit
• get tax-free childcare from HM Revenue and Customs
• are paying a relative to care for your child only
• or your partner are receiving funding from the NHS.

For more information:

The Vale of Glamorgan Council provides a Focused Childcare Support Scheme for children with an emerging and/or diagnosed additional need, or a child who is at risk of isolation.

For more information: