More than 56,000 families in London conjure up Hallowe’en…

13 October 2026

More than 56,000 families in London conjure up Hallowe’en savings with Tax-Free Childcare

 

• Latest figures show 56,695 families in London saved up to £2,000 a year with Tax-Free Childcare.
• Working parents encouraged to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare today to save on the cost of childcare
  this Hallowe’en.
• More than £55 million of government cash added to Tax-Free Childcare accounts in June.

More than 56,000 families in London cast a savings spell and cut their childcare costs with Tax-Free Childcare
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reveals, as it encourages others to sign up ahead of the spooky school
holidays.

Tax-Free Childcare helps working families with their childcare costs by saving up to £2,000 per year for each
of their children up to the age of 11 or £4,000 per year up to aged 16 if the child is disabled.

Latest figures show 56,695 families in London received a share of £55.7 million in government top-ups in June
with each family getting an average of £93 added to their Tax-Free Childcare savings pot. For every £8
parents deposit in their child’s account, the government tops it up by £2.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said:
“Paying for childcare while you work doesn’t have to be a nightmare for your bank balance this Hallowe’en.
Tax-Free Childcare can make a real difference. Go to GOV.UK to find out more today.”

Signing up to Tax-Free Childcare today means families can save on whatever Hallowe’en half term childcare
plans they need as well as those for the year ahead.

Parents can receive up to £500 (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) every 3 months towards their childcare
costs. Savings can be used to pay for whatever approved childcare suits your family’s needs – nursery for
younger children, before and after school clubs or activity clubs during the school holidays.

Once families have opened a Tax-Free Childcare account, they can deposit money and use it straight away or
keep it in the account to use it whenever it’s needed. Any unused money can be withdrawn from the account
at any time.

Families could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if they:   

• have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being eligible on 1 September after their 11 th
  birthday. If their child has a disability, they receive up to £4,000 a year until 1 September after their 16 th
  birthday
• the parent and their partner (if they have one) earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum
  Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average
• each earn no more than £100,000 per annum
• do not receive Universal Credit or childcare vouchers

Full eligibility can be found on GOV.UK. 

Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside the free childcare hours, subject to eligibility.

Notes 

1. Latest Tax-Free Childcare statistics with data available up until June 2026 were released 26 August
2026.
2. More information about Tax-Free Childcare and how to register.
3. Each eligible child requires their own Tax-Free Childcare account. If families have more than one
eligible child, they will need to register an account for each child. The government top-up is then
applied to deposits made for each child, not household.
4. Account holders must confirm their details are up to date every 3 months to continue receiving the
government top-up.
5. Childcare providers can also sign up for a childcare provider account via GOV.UK to receive payments
from parents and carers via the scheme.

 

source: HMRC