Universal Credit payments for children and childcare
As well as the monthly standard allowance, you may receive an amount, called the child element, for children who live with you. The child element of your Universal Credit payment will depend on how many children you have and the date they were born.
If your children are continuing in full-time education
You must tell Universal Credit if your child is going to continue in full-time non-advanced education or approved training after the age of 16. This is so you can continue to get the additional amount for children and the disabled child addition, if appropriate.
If your child is 16 or over
By the end of July each year you’ll get a journal message in your Universal Credit account explaining what you’ll need to do.
For further information speak with your work coach.
| When the child was born | Monthly child element |
|---|---|
| Before 6 April 2017 | First child: £339.00 Each subsequent child: £292.81 |
| On or after 6 April 2017 but only if they are your first and/ or second child or if special circumstances apply | £292.81 |
Children born before 6 April 2017
Your Universal Credit payment may include a child element for each child in your household born before 6 April 2017.
Children born on or after 6 April 2017
The UK Government’s two-child policy means that for children born on or after 6 April 2017, the child element will only apply if they are your first or second child. Or if any of the following special circumstances apply to them.
Exceptions to the two-child policy
Part of a multiple birth
If you have a third or subsequent child by multiple birth after 6 April 2017, you will be able to get the child element for all but one of those children.
For further information go to: Universal Credit: two child limit
Adopted
You can get an extra amount of Universal Credit for any child you adopt through the Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT). This extra amount will usually apply from the date you became responsible for the adopted child.
Children living with family, friends or in caring arrangements
You may get a child element if you have a formal arrangement in place for caring for a child who is not yours. For example, if you have been appointed by a court as legally responsible for the child or young person.
If you have an informal arrangement in place you may still get a child element. You and your social worker must fill in Form IC1NI(IS) and return it to the Department for Communities Exceptions Team.
If a child under 16 who you are responsible for has a child, you may get a child element for their child.
Children likely conceived from a non-consensual sexual act
You may get a child element for a third or subsequent child who is likely to have been conceived as because of a sexual act you did not, or could not, consent to.
This includes children conceived around a time when you were suffering from domestic abuse by the other parent of the child.
To get this child element you must not be living with the other biological parent of the child. You will be asked to confirm this.
If you have a child with disabilities or severe disabilities
As well as the standard allowance and the child element, if you have a child or children with disabilities, you may get an extra monthly payment.
There are two rates of payment.
Lower rate, which is £158.76 a month, is paid for a child who receives:
- the mobility or care part of Disability Living Allowance (any rate except the highest rate of the care part)
- a Personal Independence Payment
Higher rate
The higher rate, which is £495.87 is paid for a child who:
- is blind or has severe loss of vision
- receives the highest rate of the care part of Disability Living Allowance
- receives the enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment daily living part
For further information speak with your work coach.
Who can get help with childcare costs
To get help with your childcare costs, you (or you and your partner in joint claims) must be in work, self-employed or about to start work.
Your childcare provider must be registered with the appropriate HSCT. This includes any play-scheme, club, nursery or relevant school-based care.
Ongoing childcare costs are paid in arrears. You can only get help with childcare costs for payments you have already made to your childcare provider or providers.
Once it has been confirmed that the childcare provider is registered with HSCT, Universal Credit can repay up to 85 per cent of childcare costs.
You may be able to get help with childcare costs if you or your partner are in work but one of you is not working because they:
- have limited capability for work
- look after a severely disabled adult or child
- are temporarily away from home (for example in hospital or in custody)
If you are a full-time student or students in a couple, you won't get Universal Credit payments towards childcare costs to cover your attendance on an education course.
Exceptions to registered or approved childcare
The exception to this rule is when your childcare is provided by a school where the provider does not need to be registered with the HSCT.
The HSCT are responsible for the registration, inspection, monitoring and support of child-minders and day care providers.
Childcare provided by schools
If you use childcare provided by a school (breakfast, after school or holiday clubs) the following three conditions must be met:
- it is provided by the person responsible for managing the school, they are not required to be registered with the HSCT
- on school premises that may be inspected as part of a school inspection
- out of school hours by a school as part of the school activities
Once it has been confirmed that the school childcare provider meets all of the conditions above, Universal Credit can repay up to 85 per cent of childcare costs.
Term time working and childcare costs
If you are employed on a term time contract and have been receiving Universal Credit payments for childcare costs, you may be eligible for childcare costs for one of the following:
- the assessment period before you start work
- the assessment period after you stop work
To check if you are eligible, you should report details of your term time working when you report your childcare costs.
Home approved childcare
Childcare costs can be awarded if a home-based childcare provider has been approved by and registered with the HSCT to provide childcare in the child’s own home.
You will not get Universal Credit childcare payments if childcare is provided by a close relative in the child’s own home, even if the relative is registered with the HSCT.
Childcare provided in the Republic of Ireland (ROI)
You may be entitled to money towards childcare costs if you pay for childcare for children in your household. You must also meet the eligibility criteria for childcare costs.
Childcare provided in RoI, must be approved by the relevant state (RoI) and must be an approved childcare provider.
You can check for registered childcare providers in RoI on the Tusla website.
Childcare costs amount
Up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs will be included in your Universal Credit payments after you have paid your childcare provider/ providers and reported the amount you've paid.
The maximum amount you can get towards childcare costs is:
£1,031.88 for one child, and
£1,768.94 for two or more children
You may be able to claim previous childcare costs if you paid for them in your current assessment period.
You can also claim for up to three months of future childcare costs at a time. Universal Credit will pay these costs over the assessment periods for which they apply. They will not be paid back in one lump sum.
How to get help with childcare costs
To get help with your childcare costs, you must share evidence of the childcare provided and the payments made.
Check what evidence of childcare costs you need to share.
Your childcare costs will be paid to you. Your statement on your online account will show how much your payment is for your childcare costs.
Information you need to share every month
You must share the following information for each child every month:
- the dates covered by the childcare payment
- the amount paid
- the date the payment was made
The receipts you give for the dates covered by the childcare payments must match the exact dates childcare was provided. If they don't match, your payment for your childcare costs may be delayed.
You must give this information in the assessment period you paid them, or in the next assessment period. If you leave it for longer than two assessment periods, you might not get the money back.
You must do this even if the costs haven't changed from the previous month.
The evidence you give must not have been altered in any way.
Evidence you can give includes:
- invoice or letter from the childcare provider
- receipt (including ATM receipt)
- bank or credit card statement
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. Plus an invoice to prove the time period this payment covers.
You can send scans, photos, screenshots and photocopies of evidence to Universal Credit.
This Universal Credit - customer information factsheet is helpful and lists what you need to do.
How to report your childcare costs every month
To report your childcare costs log onto your online account and go to ‘report childcare costs’.
If you need help reporting your childcare costs, leave a journal message in your online account or contact Universal Credit Service Centre for more information.
Re-declare childcare costs from a previous joint claim
If you are on a single claim but were on a joint claim with a partner previously, you need to re-declare the last costs you reported on your joint claim.
You must do this even if the costs were confirmed by Universal Credit before.
Help with upfront childcare costs
You may be able to get help if paying upfront for registered childcare is preventing you from:
- starting work
- staying in work
- increasing your hours of work
See Adviser Discretion Fund or Help from your local Jobs and Benefits office or speak with your work coach.
You may also be able to get an advance for help with upfront childcare costs. This will have to be paid back from your Universal Credit payments. Universal Credit will then pay your ongoing childcare costs in arrears.
Universal Credit and other approved childcare payments
You may not be eligible for Universal Credit childcare costs if you get other approved childcare payments.