Reader TTS

AROUND 800,000 PARENTS IN THE UK ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TAX-FREE CHILDCARE BUT MANY HAVE NO IDEA THEY COULD BE MISSING OUT ON UP TO £2000 ANNUALLY - COULD YOU BE ONE OF THEM? 22:11, 28 May 2025

Money expert Martin Lewis has laid out how parents can find out if they are missing out on childcare savings. Lewis revealed that 800,000 parents are eligible for tax-free childcare, many of

whom have no idea they could be due for some savings, on a recent episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show Live. The Government’s working parents scheme sees the state paying parents back 20%

of childcare costs up to £500 a quarter. This means some parents could receive £2,000 a year. Eligible mums and dads must earn at least £850 a month and no more than £100,000 each. The

payback scheme is for children aged under 12, or under 16 if they have a disability. The Money Saving Expert explained: “If you're sending your kids to a holiday club with the school

that's Ofsted-registered, you can utilise this.” Lewis also revealed he is “lobbying” to change the “hideously misnamed” scheme. He wants it changed to the Working families Childcare

Top-Up, saying, “it’s framed much better” under the new name. He added that people on Universal Credit and working can claim childcare cost support as well. This rebate is worth up to 85% of

the childcare cost working out as around £1000 for one child and almost £1,800 for two. This can be claimed through parent’s Universal Credit accounts. These financial tips come as a study

has found parents will fork out thousands to save their children from boredom. A poll of 2,000 mums and dad with kids aged 17 and under found that parents will open their wallets to lash out

on theme park and museum trips (£124/£127), as well as sports membership (£455). Additional expenses such as holiday camps (£136), cinema outings (£143), and toys and games (£152) also

contribute to the substantial yearly total. On average, families embark on around four outings a month, amounting to high costs. However, 45% of parents admit they 'struggle' to

keep their children entertained, with a staggering 62% feeling pressured to overspend . Nearly half (47%) of parents share the planning responsibilities with their children, while 39%

largely leave the decision-making to their kids. A mere 10% of parents make the plans without any input from their offspring. Article continues below The research was commissioned by

electric vehicle manufacturer Leapmotor. _FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND STORIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE FROM THE DAILY STAR, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTERS._