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One-to- one workshops/ Gweithdai un-i-un

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One-to- one workshops/ Gweithdai un-i-un

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We can run workshops for young people on any of the topic areas covered in our resources.

In the one-to-one workshops we are able to go into more depth on an issue, providing guidance based on the individual's needs.

For more information contact Bethan Wilson, Development Officer, Children in Wales. bethan.wilson@childreninwales.org.uk

Gallwn ni gynnal gweithdai i bobl ifanc ar unrhyw rai o’r meysydd pwnc sy’n cael sylw yn ein hadnoddau.

Yn y gweithdai un-i-un byddwn ni’n gallu edrych yn fanylach ar rywbeth, a rhoi arweiniad ar sail anghenion yr unigolyn.

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth, cysylltwch â Bethan Wilson, Swyddog Datblygu, Plant yng Nghymru. bethan.wilson@childreninwales.org.uk

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Use the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to find out which welfare benefits you may be entitled to.

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Food Shopping Tips/ Cynghorion Siopa am Fwyd

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Food Shopping Tips/ Cynghorion Siopa am Fwyd

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A guide for young people/ Canllaw i bobl ifanc

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Benefits and Entitlements/ Budd-daliadau a hawl i fudd-daliadau 

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Benefits and Entitlements/ Budd-daliadau a hawl i fudd-daliadau 

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Lots of free goodies for Ella's Friends | Sign-Up to become friend

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Welcome to the Ella's Kitchen family! As one of our very special Friends you can look forward to your free weaning pack.

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Some local councils offer a Real Nappy Incentive voucher scheme to encourage the use of real nappies over disposables. Below is a list of the local council we are aware of that offer such schemes.

To find out how to redeem your voucher with us see here.

Southwark- Free Nappy Starter Pack

Barnet- £54.15 cashback when you purchase real nappies

Lambeth- £40 voucher with Real Nappies for London

Sutton- £35 cashback when you purchase real nappies

Enfield- £54.15 cashback when you purchase real nappies

Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond- Trial nappy pack parents can hire via West London Waste alliance

Oldham - £30 voucher towards for real nappies

Yorkshire and the Humber

Bradford- Free washable nappy kit worth £45

Leeds - Free Nappy Starter pack or £30 cashback

Sheffield - £10 Voucher to spend on Real Nappies

Wakefield - Free Washable Nappy Trial Kit

West Midlands

Dudley- £30 cashback when you spend £50 on real nappies or accessories

Walsall - £30 cashback when you spend £50 or more on real nappies

East Midlands

Derbyshire- £25 cashback when you spend £50 on real nappies

Leicestershire - lends residents a nappy kit

East of England

Central Bedfordshire- £25 cashback on real nappy purchases of £50 or more

Hertfordshire- Free Starter Kit

Stevenage- £50 cashback on the purchase of real nappies or a Free Nappy Starter Kit

Three Rivers- £50 towards the cost of real nappies or a Free Nappy Starter Kit

Luton- £40 cashback on real nappy purchases of £50 or more

Watford- £50 cashback when you purchase real nappies

South East

Berkshire- Free Trial Pack or £30 cashback

Bracknell Forest- £30 cashback on the purchase of real nappies

Oxfordshire - Real Nappy loan scheme

South West

Gloucestershire- £30 cashback when you purchase real nappies

Bournemouth- £30 cashback voucher

Christchurch- £30 cashback voucher
Dorset- cashback voucher
Devon- Free trial kit

Wiltshire - Free one-months trial kit

Denbighshire- £75 voucher for the purchase of real nappies (redeemable here at FYP)

Flintshire- £75 voucher for the purchase of real nappies (redeemable here at FYP)

Gwynedd- Free real nappy trial pack or a £30 voucher for the purchase of real nappies

Pembrokeshire- £30 cashback when you spend £50 or more on real nappies or £60 cashback when you spend £150

Powys - An incentive of up to £100 (minimum of £50) per family, towards the cost of reusable nappies.

Torfaen- £30 voucher for the purchase of real nappies (redeemable here at FYP)

Swansea - A whopping £100 cashback on your spend on reusable nappies!

Edinburgh - Real nappy starter kit through Changeworks

North Ayrshire - Real nappy starter kit, contact 01294 310000 or wasteawarenessteam@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Belfast City Council - Offer a free two week trial and a £30 cashback scheme on purchase of £50 of nappies

Can't see your local area listed? Don't worry, here at FYP we offer an exclusive trial programme of reusable nappies here

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Real Nappies- List of Real Nappy Council Incentives

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Some local councils offer a Real Nappy Incentive voucher scheme to encourage the use of real nappies over disposables. Below is a list of the local council we are aware of that offer such schemes. To find out how to redeem your voucher with us see here.

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Little Village only operates in London, but there are more than 200 baby banks across the UK.

If you'd like to support a baby bank local to you, or if you need support, check out this interactive map to see who's where.

This map may not include all baby banks. If you would like your baby bank to be added to the map, please click here.

If you are struggling to look at the map on your phone, try rotating your phone to landscape.
Creating a national alliance of baby banks
Four partners ( Little Village, Baby Bank Network Bristol, Save the Children and Purposeful Ventures) are working together to explore the creation of a new national baby bank alliance whose aim is to increase the profile and impact of the vital work undertaken by over 200 baby banks run in local communities across the UK. Our hope is that an alliance will help baby banks to share knowledge and resources, attract funding, in kind donations, corporate partners that they couldn't secure alone and grow the overall baby bank movement.

For more information on the Baby Bank Alliance, please visit the website here: www.babybankalliance.org

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Little Village only operates in London, but there are more than 200 baby banks across the UK. If you'd like to support a baby bank local to you, or if you need support, check out this interactive map to see who's where. This map may not include all baby banks.

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Baby cost calculator/ Cyfrifiannell costau babi

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Baby cost calculator/ Cyfrifiannell costau babi

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MoneyHelper is the new, easy way to get clear, free,
impartial help for all your money and pension choices.
Whatever your circumstances or plans, move forward with MoneyHelper.

Continue to website Do not show this message again for The Pensions Advisory Service

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MoneyHelper is the new, easy way to get clear, free, impartial help for all your money and pension choices. Whatever your circumstances or plans, move forward with MoneyHelper. Continue to website Do not show this message again for The Pensions Advisory Service

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Parenting. Give it Time/ Magu Plant. Rhowch amser iddo 

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Parenting. Give it Time/ Magu Plant. Rhowch amser iddo 

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Information specific to Carmarthenshire/ Gwybodaeth benodol am Sir Gâr

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Information specific to Carmarthenshire/ Gwybodaeth benodol am Sir Gâr

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Information specific to Anglesey/ Gwybodaeth benodol am Ynys Môn

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Information specific to Anglesey/ Gwybodaeth benodol am Ynys Môn

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The Getting Ready Project provides support for young people to safely transition from care. We aim to empower young people by enhancing their knowledge and understanding of their rights and entitlements when planning to leave care, and we do this through the provision and creation of online resources produced in partnership with care experienced young people. All our resources are bespoke and specific to each local authority, taking into consideration geographical differences and if this is a strategy you feel would support your area then please do get in touch with us.

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Benefits and Entitlements/ Budd-daliadau a hawl i fudd-daliadau

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Benefits and Entitlements/ Budd-daliadau a hawl i fudd-daliadau

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Mumsnet | The UK's most popular website for parents

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Mumsnet makes parents' lives easier by pooling knowledge, advice and support on everything from conception to childbirth, from babies to teenagers.

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Coping with stress after having a baby/ Ymdopi gyda straen ar ôl cael babi

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Coping with stress after having a baby/ Ymdopi gyda straen ar ôl cael babi

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How to cope with stress after the birth of a baby, including tips for relaxation, joining support groups and relationship advice.

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You are not alone!/ Dydych chi ddim ar eich pen eich hun 

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You are not alone!/ Dydych chi ddim ar eich pen eich hun 

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C hrissy Teigen, 31, is many things: a Sports Illustrated cover girl, a New York Times best-selling cookbook author, a host of the Emmy-nominated TV series Lip Sync Battle and the soon-to-be designer of a fashion line with Revolve. But she's best known for what her husband, John Legend, calls her: "smart mouth." She opines on everything from politics to stretch marks, 140 characters a time on Twitter. And her commentary is often so "you took the words out of my mouth!" that all you have to do is hit RT and add the word "PREACH."
What women love about Teigen is that she is, as she admits, "an open book." She will show off a perfect seared duck breast-and tell you she accidentally sliced off her fingertip on a mandoline. Ask her about the wildest place she's had sex? She'll answer. (An airplane.) She approaches any topic with that same raw, real candor.
But there's one thing she hasn't shared yet: After giving birth to her daughter, Luna, last April, Teigen developed postpartum depression, a condition affecting one in nine women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this exclusive essay for Glamour, she talks about her experience, why she kept it private, and how she's doing now. And she is as raw and real as ever. Over to you, Chrissy.

When Glamour first told me I was going to be on the cover, I was freaking thrilled. Seriously. As a longtime reader, I couldn't believe it. I'd always assumed that wearing swimsuits (or half a swimsuit) or having the occasional nip slip (or bit slip) wouldn't make me the go-to choice for a women's magazine I not only love but respect.

Yet here I am! Next they asked me to write an essay. I was super into it, but then cringed every time I opened my laptop. Topics? I quickly realized I have truly talked about everything possible. I guess that's the dilemma one faces when they...well...can't shut up. I've been a chronic oversharer since birth. So I decided I'd talk about something no one really knows about me, mainly because I just learned about it myself. What is it? I'll get there.

Let me start here: To a lot of you, I think, I seem like the happiest person on the planet. I have an incredible husband-John and I have been together for over 10 years. He has seen my successes and failures; I've seen his. He has seen me at my worst, but I will say I don't think I have ever seen him at his. He's exactly as compassionate, patient, loving, and understanding as he seems. And I hate it. OK, I don't hate it. But it can certainly drive you nuts sometimes when you're as cynical as I am. If I weren't me, I would politely excuse myself to make the most epic eye roll of all time if a woman talked to me about her significant other the way I just did to you.

When John and I got together, I found my love for cooking. On one of our earliest dates, I took him to Daniel ( four dollar signs on Yelp, ahhh!). I drank a $40 margarita, ate salmon rillettes (fancy salmon spread), and prayed my card wouldn't be declined. I couldn't afford to take him out to more dinners like that, so I started cooking more and more at home for us. I started with my own version of that salmon spread, then roasted whole branzino, osso buco, chipotle BBQ chicken. When my first cookbook came out, I finally felt proud of my work. I feel that same pride in Lip Sync Battle, where I get to work with LL Cool J and watch Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan go head-to-head as Beyoncé and motherf-cking Paula Abdul. My job, essentially, is to have the best time humanly possible.

And a year ago, in April, John and I started our family together. We had our daughter, Luna, who is perfect. She is somehow exactly me, exactly John, and exactly herself. I adore her.

I had everything I needed to be happy. And yet, for much of the last year, I felt unhappy. What basically everyone around me- but me-knew up until December was this: I have postpartum depression. How can I feel this way when everything is so great? I've had a hard time coming to terms with that, and I hesitated to even talk about this, as everything becomes such a "thing." During pregnancy, what I thought were casual comments about IVF turned into headlines about me choosing the sex of my daughter. And I can already envision what will be said about me after this admission. But it's such a major part of my life and so, so many other women's lives. It would feel wrong to write anything else. So here goes.

I had such a wonderful, energetic pregnancy. Luna sat inside me like a little cross-legged Buddha facing toward my back for nine months. I never saw her face in a sonogram, just her butt or the back of her feet. Every time we kinnnnd of saw a nose, she would quickly dodge, and I was left guessing again. John, my mom, and my sister were all in the delivery room. John was DJ-ing. Luna, fittingly, popped out to the song "Superfly." The first lyric is "Darkest of night. With the moon shining bright." I immediately put her on my chest. And she had a face! I was so happy. And exhausted.

After I had Luna, our home was under construction, so we lived in a rental home, then a hotel, and I blamed whatever stress or detachment or sadness I was feeling at that time on the fact that there were so many odd circumstances. I remember thinking: "Maybe I'll feel better when we have a home."

I went back to work on Lip Sync Battle in August, when Luna was four months. The show treated me incredibly well-they put a nursery in my dressing room and blew up photos of Luna and John and my family for my wall. When Luna was on set, they lowered the noise levels. They turned down the air so she wouldn't be cold. Only the most gentle knocking on the door. Pump breaks. I mean, there was no better place to get to go back to work to.

But I was different than before. Getting out of bed to get to set on time was painful. My lower back throbbed; my shoulders-even my wrists-hurt. I didn't have an appetite. I would go two days without a bite of food, and you know how big of a deal food is for me. One thing that really got me was just how short I was with people.

I would be in my dressing room, sitting in a robe, getting hair and makeup done, and a crew member would knock on the door and ask: "Chrissy, do you know the lyrics to this song?" And I would lose it. Or "Chrissy, do you like these cat ears, or these panda hands?" And I'd be like: "Whatever you want. I don't care." They would leave. My eyes would well up and I would burst into tears. My makeup artist would pat them dry and give me a few minutes.

I couldn't figure out why I was so unhappy. I blamed it on being tired and possibly growing out of the role: "Maybe I'm just not a goofy person anymore. Maybe I'm just supposed to be a mom."

When I wasn't in the studio, I never left the house. I mean, never. Not even a tiptoe outside. I'd ask people who came inside why they were wet. Was it raining? How would I know-I had every shade closed. Most days were spent on the exact same spot on the couch and rarely would I muster up the energy to make it upstairs for bed. John would sleep on the couch with me, sometimes four nights in a row. I started keeping robes and comfy clothes in the pantry so I wouldn't have to go upstairs when John went to work. There was a lot of spontaneous crying.

Anytime I was seen out, it was because I had already had work or a work event that day. Meaning I wouldn't have to muster up the energy to take a shower, because it was already done. It became the same story every day: Unless I had work, John knew there was not a chance in hell we were going on a date, going to the store, going anywhere. I didn't have the energy.

Before, when I entered a room I had a presence: head high, shoulders back, big smile. Suddenly I had become this person whose shoulders would cower underneath her chin. I would keep my hands on my belly and try to make myself as small as possible.

During that time my bones hurt to the core. I had to go to the hospital; the back pain was so overwhelming. I felt like I was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy: These kids were around me, asking questions. Maybe it was a kidney infection? No one could figure it out. I saw rheumatoid doctors for the wrist pain; we thought it might be rheumatoid arthritis. I felt nauseated all the time, so I saw a GI doctor. I wondered: Am I making this all up? Is this pain even real anymore?

By December I had started my second cookbook. With the first, I was in the kitchen the whole time. I stirred every pot, tasted everything. Had genuine excitement for Every. Single. Recipe. This one came at the height of my losing my appetite, and the idea of having to test and taste recipes actually made me vomit. I was still on the couch a lot.

Before the holidays I went to my GP for a physical. John sat next to me. I looked at my doctor, and my eyes welled up because I was so tired of being in pain. Of sleeping on the couch. Of waking up throughout the night. Of throwing up. Of taking things out on the wrong people. Of not enjoying life. Of not seeing my friends. Of not having the energy to take my baby for a stroll. My doctor pulled out a book and started listing symptoms. And I was like, "Yep, yep, yep." I got my diagnosis: postpartum depression and anxiety. (The anxiety explains some of my physical symptoms.)

I remember being so exhausted but happy to know that we could finally get on the path of getting better. John had that same excitement. I started taking an antidepressant, which helped. And I started sharing the news with friends and family-I felt like everyone deserved an explanation, and I didn't know how else to say it other than the only way I know: just saying it. It got easier and easier to say it aloud every time. (I still don't really like to say, "I have postpartum depression," because the word depression scares a lot of people. I often just call it "postpartum." Maybe I should say it, though. Maybe it will lessen the stigma a bit.)

I wanted to write an open letter to friends and employers to explain why I had been so unhappy. The mental pain of knowing I let so many people down at once was worse than the physical pain. To have people that you respect, who are the best in the business, witness you at your worst is tough. Even though this was something I shouldn't have to apologize for, I did want to apologize. Because on a set, people depend on you. A lot of people are coming together and all you have to do, Christine, is put on a unicorn head and shoot a money gun. Editors are wondering what the f-ck happened to the girl they gave a book deal to. This shit was flying through my head and I felt horrible.

I actually did write my executive producer on Lip Sync Battle, Casey Patterson. She is one of the most amazing women in this universe and I never doubted she would understand. She told me she had noticed and was always here for me. I had to postpone my second cookbook, but my editor, Francis Lam, and publisher couldn't have been more understanding. To go from discussing layouts and recipes and shoot days to a complete "off" switch was, I'm sure, not a great thing to hear. But, again, I cannot overstate how lucky I am to work with these people.

Before this, I had never, ever-in my whole entire life-had one person say to me: "I have postpartum depression." Growing up in the nineties, I associated postpartum depression with Susan Smith [a woman now serving life in prison for killing her two sons; her lawyer argued that she suffered from a long history of depression], with people who didn't like their babies or felt like they had to harm their children. I didn't have anything remotely close to those feelings. I looked at Luna every day, amazed by her. So I didn't think I had it.

I also just didn't think it could happen to me. I have a great life. I have all the help I could need: John, my mother (who lives with us), a nanny. But postpartum does not discriminate. I couldn't control it. And that's part of the reason it took me so long to speak up: I felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that I'm struggling. Sometimes I still do.

I know I might sound like a whiny, entitled girl. Plenty of people around the world in my situation have no help, no family, no access to medical care. I can't imagine not being able to go to the doctors that I need. It's hurtful to me to know that we have a president who wants to rip health care away from women. I look around every day and I don't know how people do it. I've never had more respect for mothers, especially mothers with postpartum depression.

I'm speaking up now because I want people to know it can happen to anybody and I don't want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone. I also don't want to pretend like I know everything about postpartum depression, because it can be different for everybody. But one thing I do know is that-for me-just merely being open about it helps. This has become my open letter.

As I'm writing this, in February, I am a much different human than I was even just in December. I'm over a month into taking my antidepressant, and I just got the name of a therapist who I am planning to start seeing. Let's be honest though-I probably needed therapy way before Luna!

Like anyone, with PPD or without, I have really good days and bad days. I will say, though, right now, all of the really bad days-the days that used to be all my days-are gone.

There are weeks when I still don't leave the house for days; then I'm randomly at the Super Bowl or Grammys. (This is cringeworthily unrelatable, and I am very aware of that-it's giving me anxiety.) Physically, I still don't have energy for a lot of things, but a lot of new moms deal with this. Just crawling around with Luna can be hard. My back pain has gotten better, but my hands and wrists still hurt. And it can still be tough for me to stomach food some days. But I'm dealing.

I'm grateful for the people around me. John has been incredible over the last nine months, bringing me my medicine and watching horrible reality TV with me. He is not the goofiest guy, but he has gone out of his way to indulge my sense of humor. When I was having a good day, he would go to Medieval Times with me and put on the crazy period hat! He sees how much my eyes light up when he does that stuff, and he knows that's what I need. I know he must look over at times and think: My God, get it together. But he has never made me feel that way. He wants me to be happy, silly, and energetic again, but he's not making me feel bad when I'm not in that place. I love John and Luna more than I can imagine loving anything, and John and I still hope to give Luna a few siblings. Postpartum hasn't changed that.

More than anything, I always want to have enough energy for Luna-to run up the stairs with her, to have tea parties with her. As she gets older, she's becoming more and more fun. Her eyes are getting so wide, and I want to be there for those wide eyes. And I will be.

Phew! I've hated hiding this from you.
XX, Chrissy
Postpartum depression is a common medical condition and, as Chrissy notes, symptoms can vary. Click here for information on diagnosis and treatment. To read more stories from women who have struggled with postpartum depression, click here.
Photographs by: Miguel Reveriego
Fashion Editor: Jillian Davison

For more personal stories, celeb content, and news about women who inspire us, subscribe to Glamour for just $5.

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Chrissy Teigen Opens Up About Her Postpartum Depression

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C hrissy Teigen, 31, is many things: a Sports Illustrated cover girl, a New York Times best-selling cookbook author, a host of the Emmy-nominated TV series Lip Sync Battle and the soon-to-be designer of a fashion line with Revolve. But she's best known for what her husband, John Legend, calls her: "smart mouth."

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I saw this quote when I was looking for postive mesages to keep me motivated this week and felt like it was woth sharing 💛 As young people we need to realise that we can do whatever we sety our minds to, and even if that dosen't work out, there is always something else to try 💛 never give up!

#mentalhealth #awareness #mindfulness #support #inspire #empowerment #youthvoice #exciting #inclusionmatters #inclusive #diversity #love #happy #platffom4yp #blog #photography #blogger #inspiration #inspirationalquotes

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Platfform 4YP - Resources, articles and news for young people, by young people.

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I saw this quote when I was looking for postive mesages to keep me motivated this week and felt like it was woth sharing 💛 As young people we need to realise that we can do whatever we sety our minds to, and even if that dosen't work out, there is always something else to try 💛 never give up!

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Children whose families are on lower incomes and qualify for certain benefits can apply for a grant of:

£125 per learner

£200 for learners entering year 7 (to help with increased costs associated with starting secondary school)

All compulsory school years from reception to year 11 are now eligible.

All looked after children qualify for the grant, whether they receive free school meals or not. Learners who receive free school meals due to transitional protection arrangements do not qualify.

Families are only entitled to claim once per child, per school year.

The 2023 to 2024 scheme is now open and will close on 31 May 2024.

To apply for this grant please contact your local authority.

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Funding to buy school uniform, equipment, sports kit and kit for activities outside of school for your child.

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Free School Meals/ Prydau ysgol am ddim 

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Free School Meals/ Prydau ysgol am ddim 

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If you are getting certain benefits and your income is below a certain amount you will be able to claim free school meals.

This ensures your child gets a healthy, nutritious, cooked meal each day

Your child's school will also receive more money from Welsh Government to support your child.

To apply for free school meals, speak to someone in your child's school

Os wyt ti'n derbyn rhai budd-daliadau ac mae dy incwm o dan swm penodol, byddi di'n gallu hawlio prydau ysgol am ddim.

Mae hyn yn sicrhau bod dy blentyn yn cael pryd twym, iach a maethlon bob dydd

Hefyd, bydd ysgol dy blentyn yn cael rhagor o arian gan Lywodraeth Cymru er mwyn cefnogi dy blentyn.

I wneud cais am brydau

ysgol am ddim, siarad â rhywun yn ysgol dy blentyn

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Childcare while studying/ Gofal plant tra bod ti’n astudio 

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Childcare while studying/ Gofal plant tra bod ti’n astudio 

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Childcare Grant and Parents' Learning Allowance

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Childcare while in work/ Gofal plant pan fyddi'n gweithio

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Childcare while in work/ Gofal plant pan fyddi'n gweithio

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8. Children and childcare

Your children

Your Universal Credit payment can include an amount to help with the costs of looking after your child or children.

Children up to the age of 16

You can now apply for Universal Credit regardless of how many children you have. If your claim is successful, your Universal Credit payment may include an extra amount of money for dependent children who normally live with you.

Who counts as a dependent child is the same for Universal Credit as it is for other benefits and tax credits. In general, if you are able to claim Child Benefit for a child then they should be included in your Universal Credit claim.

If you are making a new Universal Credit claim you will be entitled to an extra child amount for any child born before 6 April 2017. However, you will not be entitled to an extra child amount for a third or following child born on or after 6 April 2017.

You only get an extra amount for more than 2 children if:

you were already claiming for more than 2 children before 6 April 2017

you're renewing a claim for more than 2 children that stopped within the last 6 months

Other special circumstances apply. Read more about the rules for families with more than 2 children

Use a benefits calculator to find out what you may be able to get.

16 to 19 year old children

You may get the extra child amount for children aged 16 to 19 if they are attending or enrolled in full-time, non-advanced education or on approved training. If they are not in education or training, you will not get the extra child amount.

Disabled children

You may get extra money if your dependent child is disabled. This disabled child addition is paid at either a higher rate or a lower rate. You can receive the disabled child addition even if you don't get the extra child amount for that child.

A change of circumstances relating to your children

If you have more children, or if one of your children leaves your home, you need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions within one month to make sure your family gets the right payment. You may get an extra child amount if, for example, you have a baby. You may stop getting the extra child amount if, for example, your child:

leaves full-time, non-advanced education or approved training

leaves home

goes into local authority care (except for respite care)

is in prison, or in custody awaiting trial or sentence

Read further information for families

Childcare costs

If you are working, Universal Credit can help with the costs of childcare, no matter how many hours you work.

You may be able to claim up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs if you're eligible for Universal Credit and meet some additional conditions. The amounts you can receive in childcare costs are:

a maximum of £646.35 per month for one child

a maximum of £1108.04 per month for 2 or more children

Childcare support is paid in arrears. This means that you will usually pay the costs yourself, and Universal Credit will then pay you some of that money back. If you think you need help with the costs at the time you pay them, you should discuss this with your work coach.

You'll need to inform the Department for Work and Pensions of the cost of the childcare by the end of the assessment period after the one in which you've paid the childcare charges. You can do this by signing into your Universal Credit account

It's important to note that you will only be paid back for childcare that has taken place during your assessment period. This means that if you pay for more than one month's childcare in an assessment period - for example if you pay for a whole term - the money you get back at the end of that assessment period will only cover any childcare that has actually taken place during it. The rest of the payments you are entitled to will be paid in later months, once the childcare has taken place. These payments can be split over a maximum of 3 assessment periods.

If you have accepted a job offer you can claim for childcare costs for the month before you start work. Talk to your work coach as soon as possible about your job offer and the support options available. If your job comes to an end, you must tell the Department for Work and Pensions immediately.

Support with childcare costs can be claimed for at least a month after your employment ends to help you maintain your childcare as you move between jobs.

The amount you earn can affect how much you receive from Universal Credit. If your earnings are higher than usual in an assessment period this can reduce your Universal Credit payments, including the help you get towards childcare costs. Read more about Universal Credit and work

You cannot get help towards any payments that were made using childcare vouchers. If your childcare costs are higher than the value of your vouchers, you can apply for help towards that additional amount.

Earnings that are converted into childcare vouchers are not included when working out reductions to your Universal Credit payment.

If you are getting Universal Credit, you will be reimbursed costs for childcare that has taken place and you have already paid for.

You will continue to be reimbursed for childcare costs with your Universal Credit if you are a critical worker or if you are a non-critical worker who has access to registered childcare.

Paying for childcare in advance during coronavirus

If you pay for your childcare in advance, payments will be reimbursed in the normal way, which means the cost can be split across a maximum of 3 assessment periods. At the end of each assessment period, the costs for childcare used in that assessment period will be reimbursed.

It's important to note that - at the end of any assessment period - you can only be reimbursed for childcare that has actually taken place during that assessment period.

If you pay (and report) advance childcare costs for a future assessment period, but no childcare actually takes place during that time, you will not be able to reclaim those costs as part of your Universal Credit claim.

Your childcare provider might ask to keep an advance payment, saying that it will cover your costs whenever your childcare resumes. Please note that you will only be able to reclaim these costs if the childcare resumes during the assessment period in which you made the payment, or within the next 2 assessment periods after that.

Your childcare provider might ask for a sum of money to keep a place for your child - this is sometimes known as a retainer. This is not eligible for reimbursement unless it is actually an advance payment for childcare costs.

How to get childcare support

You must be in paid work to receive childcare support from Universal Credit.

If you are a claiming with a partner both of you normally need to be in work to receive this help. However, you may be able to get childcare support if one of you is not working and is unable to provide childcare themselves because they:

have limited capability for work

have caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person

are temporarily absent from the household

Paid work does not include voluntary work where the only payment is expenses.

In some circumstances you can be treated as if you are in paid work while you are not working. Childcare support is available if you are claiming Universal Credit and are receiving:

Statutory Sick Pay

Statutory Maternity Pay

Statutory Paternity Pay

Statutory Shared Parental Pay

Statutory Adoption Pay

Maternity Allowance

You must be paying childcare costs to registered or approved childcare providers.

This generally means the childcare provider is registered with one of these organisations:

England - OFSTED

Scotland - The Care Inspectorate

Wales - Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW)

Approved childcare can include care provided in school or in another place by a child minder, play-scheme, nursery or club. Your approved childcare provider should be able to provide you with a registration number.

Further information

For more information see the Universal Credit childcare guide

The Universal Credit childcare offer is part of the package of support available for parents, which may include free childcare for 15 or 30 hours a week. To find out more visit the Childcare Choices website. You can also read further information for families on Universal Credit, children and childcare.

Check whether you could be eligible for government childcare support using the Childcare Calculator

Watch this short guide for parents that sets out the steps to apply for 30 hours childcare and Tax-Free Childcare:

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Understanding Universal Credit - Children and childcare

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Your Universal Credit payment can include an amount to help with the costs of looking after your child or children. Children up to the age of 16 You can now apply for Universal Credit regardless of how many children you have.

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Family Information Service/ Gwasanaeth Gwybodaeth i Deuluoedd

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Family Information Service/ Gwasanaeth Gwybodaeth i Deuluoedd

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Free, trusted information on what matters to you and your family

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Flying Start helps families with children under 4 years old in disadvantaged areas of Wales.

Help available includes:

part-time childcare for 2 to 3 year olds

an enhanced Health Visiting service

access to parenting programmes

support for children to learn to talk and communicate

Contact your local Family Information Service to find out if you live in a Flying Start area and what help may be available.

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Flying Start helps families with children under 4 years old in disadvantaged areas of Wales. Help available includes: part-time childcare for 2 to 3 year olds an enhanced Health Visiting service access to parenting programmes support for children to learn to talk and communicate Contact your local Family Information Service to find out if you live in a Flying Start area and what help may be available.

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Sure Start Maternity Grant/ Grant Mamolaeth Cychwyn Cadarn

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Sure Start Maternity Grant/ Grant Mamolaeth Cychwyn Cadarn

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Usually, to qualify for a Sure Start Maternity Grant there must be no other children in your family and you or your partner must get one of these benefits:

Income Support

income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit

Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element

Universal Credit

You may also qualify if you're getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

If you already have children under 16

You may still be able to get a grant if either:

you're expecting a multiple birth (such as twins)

the child you're caring for is someone else's (but not your partner's) and the child was over 12 months old when the arrangement started

If you're not giving birth

You may also be able to get a grant if you're adopting or becoming a surrogate parent.

The baby must be less than 1 year old on the date you claim. You must be receiving one of the benefits above and one of the following must also apply:

you've become responsible for the baby and you're not the mother

the baby has been placed with you for adoption

you've got permission to adopt a baby from abroad

you've got a parental order for a surrogate birth

you've been appointed as guardian

you've an adoption or a residence order

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Usually, to qualify for a Sure Start Maternity Grant there must be no other children in your family and you or your partner must get one of these benefits: Income Support income-based Jobseeker's Allowance income-related Employment and Support Allowance Pension Credit Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element Universal Credit You may also qualify if you're getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

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Healthy Start Vouchers/ Talebau Cychwyn Iach 

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Healthy Start Vouchers/ Talebau Cychwyn Iach 

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What is Healthy Start?

If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

If you're eligible, you'll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. We'll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.

You can use your card to buy:

plain liquid cow's milk

fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables

fresh, dried, and tinned pulses

infant formula milk based on cow's milk

You can also use your card to collect:

Healthy Start vitamins - these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding

vitamin drops for babies and young children - these are suitable from birth to 4 years old

If you live in Scotland

You can get help from Best Start Foods (opens in a new tab) instead.

Advice on healthy eating

For more advice on healthy eating, visit:

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If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk. If you're eligible, you'll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops.

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There are 2 Child Benefit rates.

You must contact the Child Benefit Office if you're paid too much or too little.

The benefit cap may affect the total amount of benefits you get, including Child Benefit.

How and when Child Benefit is paid

Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday.

You can have the money paid weekly if you're a single parent or getting certain other benefits, such as Income Support.

You can get the money paid into any account, apart from a Nationwide cashbuilder account (sort code 070030) in someone else's name.

You can only get the money paid into one account.

Child Benefit and your State Pension

If your child is under 12 and you're not working or do not earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions, Child Benefit can give you National Insurance credits.

These credits count towards your State Pension, so you do not have gaps in your National Insurance record.

If families split up

If a family splits up, you get £21.80 a week for the eldest child.

If you have 2 children and one stays with you and the other stays with your ex-partner, you'll both get £21.80 a week for each child.

If you both claim for the same child, only one of you will get Child Benefit for them.

If you have other children who are entitled to Child Benefit, you'll get £14.45 for each child.

If families join together

If 2 families join together, the eldest child in the new family qualifies for the £21.80 rate and any other children who are eligible will get the £14.45 rate.

If you or your partner earn over £50,000

You can get Child Benefit if your (or your partner's) individual income is over £50,000, but you may be taxed on the benefit. This is known as the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge.

If your partner's income is also over £50,000 but yours is higher, you're responsible for paying the tax charge. You need to fill in a Self Assessment tax return each tax year and pay what you owe.

Once you earn £60,000 you lose all of your benefit through tax.

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Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.