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.

Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) Annual Reviews

April 2, 2025
SSIF invite ParentCarers of Children with SEND to their penultimate Seminar this year. ‘Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) Annual Reviews,’ is the fifth in a series of valuable and informative events for ParentCarers that will run throughout the year. This seminar is aimed at ParentCarers who have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) in place for their Child or Young Person but would like to find out more about the Annual Review process. We will aim to answer questions such as: What does an Annual Review entail? Which services are involved? What can I do if my Child or Young Persons Annual Review is delayed? What does the Law say? I have never had an Annual Review, should I have? What is my role and responsibility as a ParentCarer? We have a panel of professionals from the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Team, Health and Education, who will talk about the assessment process. They will also bust some common myths. We are inviting ParentCarers to submit any questions they have for the panel by email, by Thursday 1st May 2025, via email, to jody@southendsendindependentforum.org.uk. This is to save time in the room on the day as our speakers will build their presentations around the answers to these questions. There will also be an opportunity for people to participate in a co-production session to develop a useful route map/flow chart of the EHCP Annual Review process. Please Note: Babies, Children and Buggies. For insurance reasons and Health and Safety reasons we apologise but babies, children and buggies cannot be accommodated at these sessions. Parking. There is limited parking available at the main Civic Centre Car Park. Other nearby car parks are available at Civic Centre East Car Park SS2 6LR, and the Beecroft Car Park SS2 6EU. Book your FREE ticket. 

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March 14, 2025
The NNPCF together with other Stakeholders attended a Roundtable meeting this week with Minister McKinnel, the Minister of Education which focused on Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND). The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the ongoing speculation surrounding SEND and Inclusive Education. The Minister shared insights into the government’s direction and engaged with key stakeholders. Read more about the meeting.

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DROP-IN FRIDAYS. Come and meet your ParentCarer Forum

March 10, 2025
We know that some of you have shared that coffee mornings can be difficult to attend so we have organised a Drop-In Event once every half term. The session is open to everyone, ParentCarers looking to find out more about what the Forum does, professionals who want to understand our role and those who would just like to join us for a hot drink and a natter. We will be sharing the dates of the sessions on our social media channels so be on the lookout for future dates. We look forward to seeing you there!