Childcare tax credit for holiday childcare?

[ShyBaby]

Dd has now officially left nursery and started "big school" but she will be going back there for a couple of years probably as they provide holiday childcare too.

So I have cancelled my childcare claim. The lady I spoke to earlier in the week told me to work out what I will be paying for the year and get back to them. They will then divide it by 52 and pay me weekly. Ok thinks I.

So I call back and im told by someone else that since ive cancelled my childcare, I cant give them the details now and will have to call back as soon as it starts again (which will be sometime over the Christmas break) BUT it can only be childcare running for three consecutive weeks.

So does this mean I can only actually get help during the six week summer break? Ouch. My childcare is over £100.00 a week

If you're paying childcare during the school holidays only, you have to calculate 52 weeks worth and divide by 52, you'll then receive this throughout the year.

(Are you using an afterschool club? This is an ongoing term time cost that you can claim and would let you get the childcare provider details set up again?)

I think it depends which adviser you talk to - if you just call up and say you have new childcare costs of £x per week (if, eg, your costs are £100/wk, there are 13 weeks holiday per year = £1300 annual costs / 52 = £25/wk.) and give them a start date of the start of school term, they may well just add it on.

Generally speaking, the childcare has to have started, or be within 7 days of starting, but there may be different regs for holiday childcare, get them to check the guidance.