DfE: Qualitative research into families’ experiences and behaviours in the childcare affordability pilots – Disabled children’s pilot

The Childcare Element (CCE) is designed to offer working parents financial support for the payment of childcare costs. Subject to a range of eligibility criteria, working families could claim 80% of their total childcare costs via this system, at the time of the Pilot. However, this has now been reduced to 70%.

In recognition that some parents of disabled children may face higher childcare costs, in 2009 the government introduced the Childcare Affordability Pilot for disabled children; a way of offering working parents with disabled children extra financial support with childcare costs through the tax credits system.