Universal Credit childcare support to come this June

SSIF • June 6, 2023

Universal Credit childcare support to come this June

An increase to the payment that eligible Universal Credit claimants can get towards childcare costs will arrive on 28 June 2023, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced.


The payment increase will allow eligible parents to claim up to £951 per month for one child and up to £1,630 per month for two or more children to cover childcare fees. This is up from £646.35 per month for one child and from £1,108.04 for two or more children.


This extra allowance is known as the childcare element of Universal Credit. It can cover up to 85% of a claimant’s childcare costs, up to the maximum amounts noted above.



Also from 28 June, parents on Universal Credit who are moving into work or significantly increasing their working hours will receive help with childcare costs upfront, rather than in arrears.


Eligibility for the childcare element

To qualify for the childcare element, you (and your partner, if you have one) must normally work. Any number of hours of work will do.



You may also qualify if you work and your partner is unable to provide childcare, either because they are incapable of work, or because they provide regular and substantial care to a disabled person (and are eligible for Carer’s Allowance).

Not enough urgency to tackle lack of specialist places and higher costs

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt first announced these Universal Credit childcare support reforms in his Spring Budget earlier this year.


At the time, we said: “The Budget focused on getting people back into work. But it missed a large section of the working population: parents with disabled children. Help towards childcare costs through Universal Credit and for one- and two-year-olds is welcome, especially as childcare costs are eight times more for a disabled child. There were also some sensible proposals to address the huge gaps in the childcare workforce.

But the urgency and ambition required to deal with the scale of the problem was not there.


“Our Counting the Costs research found a combination of lack of suitable childcare for disabled children and prohibitive costs force parent carers to give up jobs and careers. We need a childcare workforce trained to meet the needs of disabled children.

This will ensure there are enough specialist places in all areas across the UK. And we need targeted financial help for families with disabled children who face significantly higher costs for childcare.”


Credit - Contact for families with disabled children.

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January 13, 2026
(photo credit - David Burton-Sampson MP (Team) - Facebook ) Engaging in National SEND Reform Discussions As you are aware, the Schools White Paper is due to set out the Government’s planned reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. We are very proud to be involved in these important discussions and are committed to engaging with every opportunity available to ensure parent carer voices are represented. We have attended several ministerial meetings hosted by the Minister for Education, Georgina Gould OBE, MP , which form part of the Department for Education’s wider SEND reform programme. These meetings brought together a range of stakeholders to explore SEND reform through the five key principles set out by the DfE: early, local, fair, effective and shared . Alongside these, we have also taken part in Parent Carer Forum (PCF)–specific meetings , which provide a dedicated space for PCFs to contribute directly to the reform process. We continue to attend both public ministerial and PCF-focused sessions, ensuring that we are fully engaged in all discussions made available to us. Within the recent PCF-specific meetings, solution-focused discussions explored two key areas: • what accountability is needed in a reformed system to support an effective and inclusive mainstream education system; and • what the key foundations are for building trust with parent carers across the SEND system. In addition to live discussions, PCF members shared extensive feedback through chat functions and written comments. This combination of lived experience, shared themes and practical suggestions was fed back collectively to the Minister to support ongoing SEND reform work. The Minister acknowledged both the complexity of the challenges and the value of the constructive contributions shared through Parent Carer Forums, recognising the importance of collective parent carer insight. At a local level, we were also particularly pleased to meet with our MP, David Burton-Sampson , and are grateful for his time and engagement. This meeting enabled us to contribute directly to Southend’s response to the Schools White Paper , ensuring that local parent carer perspectives were included. We remain committed to listening to parent carers, gathering shared experiences, and representing those voices wherever opportunities arise — locally, regionally and nationally — as SEND reform continues to develop. (NB - photo credit David Burton-Sampson

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SSIF 2024/2025 Academic Year Feedback Report

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Our latest Family Feedback report is now available to read. Each term SSIF collate the feedback and information shared with us by parents and carers via our Family Feedback Form (hosted here on our website) and our in-person engagements events, including our coffee mornings. We would like to thank all of the parents and carers who took the time to complete our feedback form and share their experiences with us. This information will be used to help shape and improve SEND services in Southend. Our Family Feedback survey is available all year round, so please continue to share your experiences. To read the full report and presentation click on the button below.

Southend SEND Information Day

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