Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to allow full-time carers with no work commitments to claim back the cost of childcare.

The Government’s Universal Credit childcare offer is designed to address a key barrier to work by providing financial help with childcare to make it easier for low-income families to work, stay in work and progress in work.

Carers who are not in paid work are not generally eligible for Universal Credit childcare support, as the support is intended to help with childcare costs associated with employment. There is an existing exception, for cases where one parent in a couple has regular and substantial caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person, and the other is in paid work, supporting the policy ambition to enable low-income families to enter and stay in work.

Whilst the Government keeps Universal Credit policy under review, there are no plans to change the existing eligibility requirements for Universal Credit childcare.