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  6. You are paying childcare costs
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You are paying childcare costs

Find out when we can use childcare payments to reduced earnings on a claim.

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you meet one of the following criteria: 

  • You are single and of state pension credit qualifying age, or
  • Part of a couple and are both of state pension credit qualifying age, or
  • Part of a couple and been continuously receiving Pension Credit since at least 14/05/19. Find your State Pension Credit qualifying age  Opens in a new window .
  • Live in supported accommodation
  • Have been placed in temporary accommodation by the Local Authority

If not you need to claim Universal Credit  Opens in a new window  for help with paying your rent.

If you pay for childcare we can reduce the amount of the earnings we use in your claim. This can be up to £175 for one child or £300 for two or more children each week. There are certain circumstances that must be met to use reduced earnings.

The child must be under 15 years old or under 16 if disabled.

Single parents must either:

  • Work 16 hours or more a week
  • Be on maternity leave and receiving statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance

Couples must either:

  • Both work 16 hours or more a week
  • One works 16 hours or more a week and the other is disabled, blind or is on maternity leave and receiving statutory ,maternity pay or maternity allowance

The childcare must be provided by:

  • A registered childminder
  • A childminding scheme where registration is not required (e.g. run by a school or LA)
  • Any other out of hours scheme provided by a school on school premises or by a local authority - in this case only, the child must be aged 8 or more

The amount we can reduce your earnings by is up to a maximum of:

  • £175.00 per week per HB or CTS claim for claimants with one child or
  • £300.00 per week per HB or CTS claim for claimants with two or more children

We will need proof of the childcare you pay, please ask the childcare provider to complete a childcare payment form.

Childcare Payment Form
This form must be completely by registered childminders.
This page was last updated over three months ago

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