Children's Tax Credit |
Child Tax Credit | Working
Tax Credit | Free Nursery Education
Places | Childcare Affordability
Programme
Children’s Tax
Credit
The Children’s Tax Credit is a lump sum payment worth up to £529
if you were responsible for looking after a child between 1 April
2002 and 31 March 2003. If your child was born between these dates,
the amount doubles to £1048. As long as you were paying income tax
on your wages during that time, you can still claim! (up to 2010).
If you would like an application form or some more information,
phone the Family and Young People's Information Service on 020
7332 1002 or email
us.
Child Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit is a payment to acknowledge and support the
costs of bringing up children still in Education. You can claim
this credit if you are responsible for one or more child. The
amount of Child Tax Credit you can receive is worked out on your
household income. Families on incomes of up to £58,175 a year (or
£66,350 a year if there is at least one child who is less than a
year old) can benefit from the Child Tax Credits can benefit
whether they are working or not. If you are responsible for a child
less than one year of age you will paid at a higher rate for
the child’s first year.
Working Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit is a payment in addition to any income your
household might be receiving. As with the Child Tax Credit, the
amount you may receive will be worked out on your household income.
This Tax Credit is also available to those who do not have
children.
The childcare element of Working Tax
Credit
Working tax credit has various elements; the one that will be
useful for childcare cost is the childcare element.
If you qualify, the amount of help you receive will depend on
your income.
The help can be up to a maximum of 80p for every £1 you pay out
in childcare costs.
This is up to a limit of £175 in costs per week for one child
and £300.00 for two or more children. Any costs that you pay in
excess of these amounts are not used in the calculation.
This means the most you can receive for the childcare element is
£140.00 (£175 at 80p in the £1) if you have one child, or £240
(£300 at 80p in the £1) if you have two or more children.
For example: childcare costs for one child of £200 per week, the
maximum amount that can be used in the calculation is £175. The £25
paid in excess of this amount is ignored. The childcare element
payable is calculated as follows: 175 x 80p = £140.
To make a claim for the childcare element, a lone parent must
work 16 hours a week or more. Couples can claim if:
- both of you work 16 hours or more, or
- one of you works 16 hours or more per week and the other is
incapacitated for childcare purposes
- one of you works 16 hours a week or more and the other is an
in-patient in hospital, or
- one of you works 16 hours a week or more and the other is in
prison
Qualifying age for a child
You can claim for any child up to the Saturday following 1
September after the child’s 15th birthday.
For more information on Tax Credits phone the Childrens'
Information Service on 020 7332 1002 or HM Revenue and
Customs (HMRC) on 0845 300 3900, or visit the
HMRC
website.
Provision of free nursery education
places for three and four year olds
A free early education place is up to five two and a half hour
sessions a week for 38 weeks of the year for eligible
children.
The number of sessions the government funds is limited to a period
of 38 weeks per year. This 38 week period is divided into, roughly,
the three school terms.
You do not have to apply for the grant yourself, as your
childcare provider will receive it direct from the Local Education
Authority and should then reduce the amount from your bill – ask
your childcare provider if you are eligible.
The provision of free nursery education places is available from
the start of term following the child’s third birthday and will
stop once your child starts school. If you want your child to
attend an early education setting outside the City, your
funding should still available from the other borough. Therefore,
we will provide funding for children who go to an early education
setting within the City, no matter where they live.
To make sure you don’t miss out - talk to your childcare
provider or phone your Family and Young People's Information
Service on 020 7332 1002
or email us.
Download the provision of free nursery education
places guidance document (357kb)
Childcare Affordability Programme
(CAP)
The LDA is coordinating a package
of LDA and Sure Start funding during 2005-2008 to subsidise
full-day and flexible childcare places for children aged 0-5
years in London creating the CAP. The CAP is providing
affordable and flexible childcare places for low income
families through supply side subsidies, and enabling
government and others to learn lessons to address wider
affordability and sustainability issues.
The key objectives of CAP are to:
- Make childcare in London more affordable for low income
parents
- Enable parents on low incomes in London to stay in, or return
to, full or part-time work and flexible work; and
- Provide parents with greater access, choice and flexibility in
childcare at greater quality.
For more information contact the Family and Young
People's Information Service on 020 7332 1750 email or visit
the London Development Agency website.