Child Benefit
You can claim Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is:
- Under 16
- Under 20 if they stay in approved education or training
Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. It is paid every 4 weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.
Tax-free childcare
You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the cost of childcare. For more information check: Claim tax-free childcare.
- 30 hours free childcare - Eligible working families in England with 3 and 4 year old children can receive 30 hours of free childcare a week.
- 15 hours free childcare - Families in England who have 2-year-old children and are on certain benefits can get 15 hours of free childcare a week.
All families with children aged 3 and 4 can also access 15 hours of free childcare a week. Visit Childcare Choices for more information.
Free school meals
These are available to pupils in England if parents get certain benefits. If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible even if you return to work or your current wage increases, until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.
Click here to check if your child can get free school meals.
School uniform
Get up to £150 towards school uniforms. How much you can get to help pay for school uniforms varies depending on where you live, but you can get up to £150 in some local authorities.
As a general rule, those on income support, Universal Credit, JSA, child tax credit, ESA, and pension tax credit are entitled to support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
To apply, check Gov.uk website, which will direct you to your council's website where you should search for “uniform grant” in the “Education” section to find out what help is available in your area.
School transport
Find out if your child is eligible for help with the cost of home to school transport through your local council website. Help with home to school transport - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Child Trust Fund
If you were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, a Child Trust Fund (CTF) would have been opened for you, with cash locked away until you turn 18.
A Child Trust Fund (CTF) is a tax-free saving account for children. It was set up if:
- You were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, and
- Your parents or guardian received Child Benefit.
You might also have an account if you were in care and looked after by your local authority.
Most accounts were opened with at least £250, so, with interest or investment growth, this could be worth a lot more now.
For more information on trust funds and how you can access it go to Child trust funds | MoneyHelper
Healthy Start vouchers
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be able to get help to buy healthy food and milk. Check if you’re eligible for Healthy Start vouchers.
Maternity costs
You could claim a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child. Check if you’re eligible for the Sure Start Maternity Grant.
If you’re worried about not being able to pay your rent, please speak to your rent payment officer who’ll be able to help you.
To see more cost of living support you can receive from the government and other organisations, please click the button below:
