Help with childcare costs
The government’s Help for Households campaign provides information on help with childcare costs.
For example, the government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme allows eligible individuals to get up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with the costs of childcare.
- Asda:.children aged 16 and under can get a hot or cold meal for £1 at any time of day in Asda cafes across the UK, seven days a week, with no minimum adult spend, until the end of 2022.
- Morrisons: in-store cafes offer a free meal for one child under 16 when buying an adult meal costing £4.99 or over.
- Sainsbury’s: their Feed your family for a fiver recipe scrapbook provides budget friendly meal ideas to feed a family of four for under £5. The Nectar scheme enables shoppers to earn one Nectar point for every £1
- qualifying spend in store, online or on fuel.
- Lidl: the Lidl Plus app gives shoppers access to weekly discount coupons, exclusive discounts and prizes, including 30% off in store bakery items
- Tesco: Clubcard members can collect one point for every £1 spent in store and online, and one point for every £2 spent on fuel.
- Waitrose: the My Waitrose scheme provides members with freebies and personalised offers.
Grandparents who mind children while parents are at work may be able to apply for Specified Adult Childcare credits if they meet certain eligibility criteria. Further information and how to apply can be found on GOV.UK’s Specified Adult Childcare credits: fact sheet.
The charity provides financial support for childcare related costs through grants of up to a total of £1,000 annually.
Their childcare grants page provides more information
- Childcare Choices: The Childcare Choices website provides information on government help with childcare costs for parents
- Free school meals: Find out if your child qualifies for benefits-related free school meals and how to apply.
- HAF: The Holiday Activity and Food Programme is specifically targeted to offer holiday activities to school aged children (5 to 16 years) who are eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals. Find out more here: Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland
- Healthy Start: Healthy Start offers vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables if you’re pregnant or have a child under four
- SureStart: maternity grants are offered as one-off payments of £500 to help with the cost of having a child
- Tax-free childcare: You could be entitled up to £500 towards childcare
