Tax-Free Childcare

TAX-FREE CHILDCARE


Childcare costs shouldn't get in the way of play. We proudly accept the Government's Tax-Free Childcare scheme, making our holiday clubs and aftercare more affordable for busy families. Learn how it works and how to use it with your booking below.

Find out more

WHAT IS TAX-FREE CHILDCARE...


Tax-Free Childcare is a UK government scheme designed to help eligible working families pay for registered childcare. For every £8 you add to your online childcare account, the government adds £2. That means a £100 childcare payment costs you £80 from your own pocket.

You can usually receive up to £500 every three months, capped at £2,000 per child each year. For an eligible disabled child, the top-up can be up to £1,000 every three months and £4,000 a year.

Because Atlas Camps is an Ofsted-registered childcare provider, families can use Tax-Free Childcare towards eligible bookings at our school holiday clubs and wraparound care settings.

The scheme is managed through a government childcare account. You pay money into the account, the top-up is added automatically, and you then send the full amount to your chosen registered childcare provider.

📄 Video transcript: Tax-Free Childcare explained

Tax-Free Childcare helps eligible working families reduce the cost of approved childcare. Parents pay money into an online childcare account and, for every £8 added, the government contributes another £2.

The account can then be used to pay registered providers such as Atlas Camps for eligible holiday club and wraparound care bookings. Families apply, manage payments and reconfirm their details through the government childcare service.

TAX-FREE CHILDCARE AT A GLANCE...

20% GOVERNMENT TOP-UP

Pay £8 into your childcare account and the government adds £2, giving you £10 to spend on eligible registered childcare.

UP TO £2,000 A YEAR

The standard top-up is capped at £500 every three months for each child, or £2,000 across the year.

REGISTERED CHILDCARE

Use the account to pay approved providers, including eligible Atlas holiday club and wraparound care sessions.

WHAT COULD THE SAVING LOOK LIKE?

For a £250 Atlas Camps booking, you would add £200 to your childcare account and the government would add £50. You can then send the full £250 payment to Atlas Camps.

Your contribution

£200

Government top-up

+ £50

WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE?

Eligibility is decided by HMRC and depends on your family circumstances. In broad terms, you may qualify if:

  • Your child is aged 11 or under, or is an eligible disabled child aged 16 or under.
  • You are working, including through employment or self-employment.
  • You and your partner, if you have one, each expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the applicable National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
  • Neither you nor your partner expects adjusted net income above £100,000 for the tax year.
  • You meet the relevant UK immigration and residency requirements.

A FEW IMPORTANT DETAILS

There are special rules and exceptions, including for parents who are starting a new job, newly self-employed, on certain types of leave, or temporarily not working.

You cannot receive Tax-Free Childcare while also claiming Universal Credit childcare costs or remaining in an employer childcare voucher scheme. Do not cancel existing support until you have checked which option is best for your family.

Check eligibility on GOV.UK

ONE-MINUTE VIDEO GUIDE

HOW TO LINK YOUR TAX-FREE CHILDCARE ACCOUNT TO ATLAS CAMPS

Watch our step-by-step mobile guide to connecting your government Tax-Free Childcare account to Pembee, the booking platform used by Atlas Camps. You normally only need to complete this linking process once for each child and registered Atlas setting.

  1. Select Tax-Free Childcare when paying for your booking.
  2. Choose Login with HMRC and sign in through Government Gateway.
  3. Allow Pembee to connect securely to your childcare account.
  4. Select the correct Atlas Camps setting and enter your child's Tax-Free Childcare reference and date of birth.
📄 Video transcript summary

The video begins at the payment stage of an Atlas Camps booking. After selecting Tax-Free Childcare, the parent chooses the HMRC login option and signs in using their Government Gateway details.

They then give Pembee permission to connect to their childcare account, select the relevant Atlas Camps provider, and enter their child's Tax-Free Childcare reference and date of birth. Once linked, the available account balance can be used towards eligible Atlas bookings.

TAX-FREE CHILDCARE FAQS...

Answers to the questions parents most often ask about using Tax-Free Childcare for holiday clubs, after-school clubs and other registered childcare.

It is a government scheme that tops up an eligible family's online childcare account. For every £8 you pay in, the government adds £2, and the account can be used to pay approved childcare providers.

Yes. As an Ofsted-registered childcare provider, Atlas Camps can accept Tax-Free Childcare for eligible holiday club and wraparound care bookings.

The government top-up is 20% of the total account balance. The standard maximum is £500 every three months, up to £2,000 a year for each child. For an eligible disabled child, the limits are £1,000 every three months and £4,000 a year.

Children are usually eligible until 1 September after their 11th birthday. For an eligible disabled child, support can continue until 1 September after their 16th birthday.

Yes. Tax-Free Childcare is available to eligible employed and self-employed parents. Special earnings rules may apply when you have started self-employment within the last 12 months.

You cannot receive Tax-Free Childcare while also claiming Universal Credit childcare costs or remaining in an employer childcare voucher scheme. However, any childcare vouchers you already hold can still be spent, including as part of a joint payment. Check which scheme is better before switching.

Yes. Subject to eligibility, Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside funded childcare hours to pay for additional eligible childcare costs.

You normally need to reconfirm your details every three months. Sign in to your childcare account to check whether reconfirmation is due and that your circumstances are up to date.

First check that the payment has left your childcare account and that you used the exact reference provided. Allow several working days for processing and matching. If it is still not showing, contact the Atlas team with the payment date, amount, child name and reference.

This guide provides general information and is not financial or benefits advice. Eligibility and scheme rules can change, so always check the latest information on GOV.UK before making decisions about childcare support.

READY TO MAKE CHILDCARE COST A LITTLE LESS?

Check whether your family is eligible, open your childcare account and use your government top-up towards eligible Atlas Camps bookings.

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Tax Free Childcare
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