Government's new childcare system faces teething problems

The government’s "Childcare Choices" website, launched in April, which parents need to use to register for two key childcare schemes, has been riddled with problems, leaving thousands of parents out of pocket.

The new website that parents need to use to register for two key childcare schemes has been riddled with problems, leaving thousands of parents out of pocket.

The government's "Childcare Choices" website, launched in April, allows parents to apply for assistance with childcare costs (it's mainly for parents in England, with similar schemes available elsewhere in the UK). The site allows you to apply for between 15 and 30 hours of free childcare, among other benefits, and you can also sign up for the government's tax-free childcare top-up system (see belowfor more on how this works). However, HM Revenue & Customers (HMRC) has received almost 1,000 complaints since the website was launched, according to Money Saving Expert. Problems include reports of the government top-up not being paid, parents being locked out of accounts and people spending months waiting for a response to their requests for help.

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Ruth Jackson-Kirby

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.