Updated on 6 April 2026

Tax-free childcare: how much is it?

You pay money into the online childcare account and the government adds money to the account (called a top-up). You can then use the account to pay for your childcare, providing your childcare provider is registered to accept payments from the scheme.

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How much is tax-free childcare worth?

For each 80p that you pay into your childcare account, the government will pay in 20p – up to a maximum of £500 (£1,000 if the child is disabled) per three-month entitlement period. This means that you can receive up to £2,000 support per child, per year and £4,000 per child, per year if they are disabled.

  It is particularly important to understand that there is a cap to the government top-up if you have variable childcare costs – for example, if you just need childcare for over the summer holidays. To take full advantage of the government top-up, you can consider paying the money into your account over the course of the year, rather than in one lump sum.

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