We don’t count childcare costs of up to £175 per week for one child and up to £300 per week for two or more children if you are:
- a lone parent in paid work for 16 hours or more
- a couple where both of you are in paid work (combined 30 hours or more)
- a couple where one of you is in paid work and the other is unable to work, for example in hospital or in prison
Childcare costs may also be ignored if you are a full-time student and a lone parent, or if you are a couple where one of you is in paid work (16 hours or more) and the other is a full-time student who is not receiving a childcare grant.
To deduct childcare costs from your earnings, the childcare provider must be one of these:
- a registered domiciliary care worker
- a foster carer (but not for the foster child)
- Ofsted registered
- someone approved under the Home Care Providers Scheme
- a school or the local authority
You will need to provide evidence of your childcare costs. This could be a recent letter from your childcare provider or a recent agreement or contract. It should show their Ofsted registration number, or proof of their status if they are not Ofsted registered.