Registered or
approved childcare
Registered or approved childcare
To be eligible for help with childcare costs through Universal Credit, a
claimant must use a registered or approved childcare provider, such as:
• nurseries
• child minders
• day care services
• school-bases care
• certain after school provision
• holiday play schemes
• play provision
These are examples and not a complete list.
A childcare provider can choose whether or not to register with a
childminding agency designated under the Childcare Act 2006. To check
whether a provider is registered, contact the relevant national inspection
authority as follows:
• England: Ofsted(link is external)
• Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales(link is external)
• Scotland: Care Inspectorate(link is external)
• Northern Ireland: Family Support Northern Ireland(link is
external)
Once it has been confirmed that the person proving childcare is
registered with one of these agencies, Universal Credit can reimburse
childcare costs up to 85% subject to the maximum limit.
Some childcare providers (for example, private schools) are not required
to be registered with the relevant local authority. However, childcare
costs can still be claimed from Universal Credit. These are known as
approved providers.
Some other types of childcare (for example, after-school clubs on school
premises) may not be registered with the relevant national inspection
authority but are allowable when authorised by the governing body of a
school.
Activity clubs such as ballet lessons or football clubs or tuition classes
may be OFSTED registered and will need a separate decision to
determine whether these are reasonable and relevant childcare.
Informal childcare such as a friend or family member looking after a
child, is excluded. See 'Child is looked after by the claimant,
the claimant’s partner or a relative' below.
What registered or approved childcare
means in each part of Great Britain
Childcare in England
The childcare provider must be registered with the Office for Standards
in Education, Children's Services and Skills (link is
external)(OFSTED).
If a claimant uses childcare provided by a school, it must be:
• provided by or under the direction of the person responsible for
managing the school, or a local authority
• on school premises that may be inspected as part of a school
inspection
• out of school hours (activity clubs such as ballet lessons do not
count as after school care)
Childcare in Wales
The childcare must be provided by:
• a provider registered with the Care Inspectorate for Wales(link is
external)
• a school on the school premises or by a local authority
• a domiciliary care worker (also called a home carer) providing
childcare in the child’s home and registered under the Domiciliary
Care Agencies (Wales) Regulations 2004
• someone approved under the Childcare at Home Voluntary
Approval Scheme providing childcare in a child's home or if
several children are being looked after in one of the children’s
homes
The upper age limit for the compulsory registration of childcare provision
in Wales has been extended from 8 to 12 years.
The changes mean providers of childcare for children up to the age of 12
years old operating for more than two hours a day must be registered
with the Care Inspectorate Wales.
Childcare in Scotland
The child minding or day care must be provided by:
• a provider registered with the Care Inspectorate(link is external)
• someone registered with the Care Inspectorate to provide
childcare in a child's home
Childcare in Northern Ireland
The childcare provider must be registered with Family Support NI(link is
external). They are responsible for the registration, inspection,
monitoring and support of child-minders and day care providers.
Claimant is a Crown servant working
abroad accompanied by their children
If the claimant is a Crown servant (for example, a civil serva nt or a
member of the armed forces posted overseas) they may be eligible for
help with their childcare costs through Universal Credit. The childcare
provider must be approved by a Ministry of Defence accreditation
scheme abroad.
Child is looked after by the claimant, the
claimant’s partner or a relative
Childcare costs cannot be paid for childcare provided by a claimant or a
claimant’s partner.
However, a claimant may be eligible for support with childcare costs
through Universal Credit if the childcare is provided by a relative who is
either:
• a registered child minder who cares for a child outside of the
child's own home
• a childcare provider approved under the Childcare at Home
Voluntary Approval Scheme in Wales who cares for a child outside
the child's own home, but they must also care for at least 1 other
child who is not related to them
Excluded childcare
Excluded childcare includes any that is not registered with the
appropriate regulator (OFSTED or its Scottish, Welsh or Northern
Ireland equivalent) or approved under a voluntary approval scheme.
Certain other childcare arrangements are also excluded. A cl aimant is
not eligible for help with childcare costs through Universal Credit where
care is provided by a:
• close relative of the child in the child’s home (for example, the
child’s parents)
• foster parent
• friend or family member looking after a child on an informal basis
The reference to ‘close relation’ refers to the relationship with the child
and not the claimant (for example, the child’s grandparents would not be
deemed close relatives).
Childcare agencies
Childcare costs can be paid to a Childminder registered to an agency. In
this circumstance the name of that agency is required to verify the
agency is OFSTED registered.
