Winter support and coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance

Colchester Borough Council is providing support for residents, businesses, and communities throughout winter. The government has announced that England will move to Plan B in response to the risks of the Omicron variant. Check the guidance on GOV.UK for what this means for you.

Child Care Costs

You may be able to get some help if you pay for child care as long as your child is under 15 (or 16 if they have a disability).

IN THIS ARTICLE

Who is eligible for help with child care costs.
How to inform us of your child care costs.

If your child is under 15 (or 16 with a disability), and you pay for child care, a partial deduction can be made from the income figure that is used to calculate your Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support.

Who is eligible:

A lone parent and you work at least 16 hours per week.
Couples who each work at least 16 hours per week.
A couple where one of you works at least 16 hours per week and the other is unable to work due to being in hospital, in prison or due to health reasons.

To get the help your child needs to be with:

A child minder, nursery or play scheme.
A child minding scheme run by a school or local council.
Child care approved by working tax credits.
Any after school service run by a school on its grounds or by the local council - in this case the child must be 8 or over.

Inform us of your child care costs

The information you provide will assist us to calculate your Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support and may be verified with your Child Care provider.