Support for Childcare Costs for Disabled Children

The Equality Act applies to childcare providers. They are not allowed to discriminate against disabled children and must make ‘reasonable adjustments’. They are allowed to charge extra if they need to employ extra staff or limit their provision to fewer children, but they are only allowed to charge for the extra costs incurred.

This article outlines support that may be available for childcare costs for disabled children.

Universal Credit

If you are claiming Universal Credit you may be able to claim up to 85% of what you pay or 85% of the maximum childcare costs. However, you may get less than this because UC is reduced by your income. The maximum childcare costs taken into account (for 2025/26) are £1,031.88 a month for one child or £1,768.94 a month for more than one child.

You can claim childcare costs for disabled children up to the end of the week including 1^st September following their 16^th birthday. The childcare must be registered or approved. Care by a relative of the child does not qualify unless it is provided away from your home and the relative is registered or approved.

You must be in paid work to get help with childcare costs. There is no minimum number of hours you need to work to get help with childcare costs. However, the childcare must be provided in order to enable you to work.

If you are claiming with a partner both of you normally need to be in paid work, unless one partner is on certain benefits or national insurance credits for sickness or disability (for example, Employment and Support Allowance), in hospital, in prison, or a carer entitled to Carer’s Allowance

For more information, see our article on Childcare Costs and Universal Credit.

Important: You should get advice before switching to UC if you are currently getting Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Housing Benefit. You could end up worse off and you will not be able to return to your old benefits.

Free early years education

In England, there are three government-funded early education schemes that offer free childcare for children aged two, three and four:

• 15 hours free education and childcare for eligible 2-year-olds (low income benefits or children with additional needs)
• 15 hours free childcare for all 3 and 4-year-olds (universal scheme)
• 30 hours free childcare for eligible children of working parents aged between 9-months and 4 years-old

These schemes are only available to families living in England, although similar schemes are available in Scotland, Wales.

In England, 2-year-olds on Disability Living Allowance, who have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan are entitled to 15 hours of free nursery education for 38 weeks of the year. For 3 and 4-year-olds, this entitlement is universal so all children can benefit.

For more information, see our article on free childcare for children aged two, three and four.

Tax-Free Childcare

Tax-Free Childcare is a government scheme that pays 25% of childcare costs. To apply, you must set up an online account and contribute, and the government tops up funds by 25%.

The government tops it up to a maximum of £4,000 a year for qualifying disabled children.

For the purposes of Tax-Free Childcare, a disabled child means a child who is receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Child Disability Payment, an armed forces independence payment, or a payment from elsewhere in the European Economic Area which has a similar character to those benefits.

Children who are certified as severely sight impaired or blind are also disabled for the purposes of Tax-Free Childcare.

You won’t be able to use Tax-Free Childcare if you get Universal Credit. Applying for Tax-Free Childcare will mean that your Universal Credit will be stopped. If you are in a childcare voucher scheme, applying for Tax-Free Childcare will also stop your vouchers.

Childcare Vouchers

Some employers provide childcare vouchers as a benefit or through a salary sacrifice scheme. You can only get these if you are already in the scheme and you are still with the same employer, as it was closed to new entrants in 2018.

You do not pay National Insurance or tax on vouchers up to £55 a week. Vouchers can be used for registered or approved childcare.

You cannot include the cost of childcare which is paid for by vouchers in your claim for Universal Credit. Sacrificing some of your salary may have a knock-on effect on pay rises and pension contributions. It is important to calculate whether you are better off claiming vouchers.

Comparing different types of help with childcare costs

There is a government calculator which compares different types of childcare support, but it does not provide details of Universal Credit childcare support.

You can check how much you could get in Universal Credit using a benefits calculator.

Direct Payments

If your local authority assesses your disabled child as in need of services, such as a nursery place or short breaks (respite care), you can ask for direct payments from your local council and arrange services yourself. Direct Payments mean that you have much more flexibility.

Further Resources

For Family Information Services – see your local authority’s website or visit the Family and Childcare Trust.

This advice applies in England, Wales and Scotland. If you live in another part of the UK, the law may differ. If you are in Northern Ireland you can visit the Labour Relations Agency or call their helpline Workplace Information Service on 03300 555 300.

Our helpline and online contact form is now closed as we wind down our operations. Our free legal advice pages remain available and up to date until further notice. You can find a list of trusted organisations that may be able to help you below.