As schools return in Northern Ireland, working parents here are being reminded they could save up to £2,000 per child per year to pay towards after-school clubs and other childcare services.
Around 30,000 families in Northern Ireland are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare via HM Revenue and Customs, which can cut thousands of pounds off childcare bills.
All families have to do is pay into their Tax-Free Childcare account and for every £8 that they deposit, the UK Government immediately makes a top-up payment of an additional £2. The scheme is open to working parents, including the self-employed, who earn between the minimum wage and £100,000 per year and have children aged 0-11 years old.
Families with a disabled child, aged 0-17 years old, can receive up to £4,000 in government support each year.
Families in Northern Ireland can choose from childcare providers that have signed up to Tax-Free Childcare, including nannies, nurseries, childminders or after-school clubs.
HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, Angela MacDonald, said: “As more parents across the country return to work and kids head back to school following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, there has never been a better time to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare.
"It takes just minutes to set up an account on our Childcare Choices website and soon you could be receiving up to £2,000 per child towards the cost of childcare each year.”
Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis, said: "I urge the 30,000 eligible families in Northern Ireland to make full use of the UK Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme to access savings on childcare services.
"The scheme is part of a significant package of measures that the UK Government has in place to help families in Northern Ireland as they return to work and school."
Childcare Choices website Childcare Calculator
