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Early years education

All three and four year olds are entitled to up to five two-and-a-half hour daily sessions a week, for three terms each year, with a 'registered provider' such as a school, nursery or playgroup.

Some large employers provide registered early years education at the workplace. You can also use a registered childminder if they're part of an approved childminding network.

• Free early learning for three and four year olds (parents section)

• Finding and choosing childcare Opens new window

Tax credits

If you've got children you could get tax credits, but you don't need to have children to claim. You may also qualify if you are working and on a low income.

Child Tax Credit

If you're responsible for at least one child or young person, you may qualify for Child Tax Credit.

Working Tax Credit

If you're working and you're on a low income, you may be able to get Working Tax Credit.

Working Tax Credit includes a specific element to support the cost of registered childcare for working parents. The childcare element can help with up to 70 per cent of your eligible childcare costs.

There are limits on the weekly costs you can claim. If you pay childcare for:

In Work Credit

In Work Credit is a tax-free payment of £40 per week (£60 in London) for parents bringing up children alone. It is payable for up to 52 weeks on top of your earnings.

Who is eligible

If your benefit claim begins before 1 October 2023 you may get In Work Credit if you:

• are bringing up children on your own
• have a child living with you who is under the age of 16
• are starting work of at least 16 hours a week on average and getting a wage or salary that meets the National Minimum Wage (or you're self employed)
• expect that work to last five weeks or more

Find out what the National Minimum Wage rates are by using the following link.

• The National Minimum Wage rates

You must also have been out of work for at least 52 weeks before you start work and getting:

• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

ESA will only count if you:

• lost entitlement to Income Support due to the age of your youngest child
• were unable to claim Jobseeker's allowance because you were ill

If you live in London and get the following benefits you could also get In Work Credit:

• Incapacity Benefit
• ESA
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Carers Allowance

Changes to In Work Credit will be brought in for new claims to benefit from October 2012 onwards. This means there will be no new payments of In Work Credit from 1 October 2013.

Payments already in place on 1 October 2023 will continue for up to 52 weeks, as long as you meet the rules for getting the payment.

• Income Support (money, tax and benefits section)

• Jobseeker's Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

• Employment and Support Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

More about In Work Credit

The claim form for In Work Credit must be completed and returned to your nearest Jobcentre Plus office within five weeks of starting work.

For more information about In Work Credit, please contact Jobcentre Plus.

• Find your local Jobcentre Plus office

Time off and flexible working

Time off ('parental leave')

If you're a working parent, you can take up to 13 weeks' parental leave for each child until their fifth birthday (you get more than this if you have a disabled child). Your employer doesn't have to pay you when you take this leave, but they might as part of your employment package. To be entitled to this time off you must:

You normally have to take parental leave in blocks of one week or more, up to a maximum of four weeks a year for each child. But your employer may let you take parental leave in shorter blocks. If your child is entitled to Disability Living Allowance then you can take your leave a day at a time if you want.

If your employer thinks your absence would disrupt the business then they can usually postpone your leave for up to six months after the date you asked for.

Flexible working

Flexible working lets you ask your employer for a new working pattern to help you care for your child. You have a right to request a flexible working pattern if you've got a child aged 16 or under, or a disabled child under 18. Your employer has to consider your request seriously.

To have the right to ask for flexible working, you must:

You'll need to fill in an application form when you apply for flexible working. You can only make one application a year.

• Flexible working (employment section)

• Parental leave (parents section)

Job Grant

Job Grant is a one-off tax free payment you may get when you start working for at least 16 hours a week and stop getting benefits.

You may be eligible for a Job Grant if you have been claiming one of the following benefits:

• Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance

Your benefit claim must begin before 1 October 2012.

Find out more about Job Grant using the link below.

• Job Grant

How child maintenance affects your benefits

Since 12 April 2010, you can keep all of the maintenance that you are paid without it affecting your benefit entitlement. However, you must continue to tell Jobcentre Plus about any maintenance payments you get.

Find out more about maintenance and benefits on the Child Maintenance Options website.

• Child Maintenance Options Opens new window

• Contact Jobcentre Plus

Information leaflets from Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus have produced a leaflet that gives you more information about the help you can get if your partner is claiming benefit. Find out more using the following link.

• Download 'Does your partner claim benefit' (PDF, 1009K)

More useful links

• 'Expecting or bringing up children' benefits

• Flexible working and work-life balance (employment section)

• Check your rights as an employee (employment section)

• Information and advice for jobseekers (jobseekers section)

Useful contacts

• Money, tax and benefits contacts