Budget boost for government's tax-free childcare scheme

System to use cashless payment apps like ParentPay, used by 3 million people

Good news for (some) parents: measures to make it easier for people with school-age children to access the government's tax-free childcare scheme were announced in the budget.

This scheme is for working families, including the self-employed, in the UK with children under 12 (under 17 if disabled). Parents open an online account to pay for registered childcare - a childminder, nursery, nanny, after-school club, playscheme and so on. However, your childcare provider must be signed up to the scheme.