What Is Tax-Free Childcare?

Tax-Free Childcare is a government scheme designed to help eligible working families with the cost of registered childcare.

For every £8 you pay into your Tax-Free Childcare account, the government adds £2, effectively giving you a 20% top-up on the money you put in, subject to the scheme's limits and eligibility rules.

For most eligible children, the maximum government contribution is £2,000 per child per year.

If your child is disabled, the maximum is higher.

The money can be used to pay approved childcare providers, including holiday clubs, after-school clubs, breakfast clubs, nurseries and registered childminders.

Important: Tax-Free Childcare is not available to everyone, so you'll need to check your eligibility.

👉 Check your eligibility for Tax-Free Childcare on GOV.UK

Can You Use Tax-Free Childcare for Holiday Clubs?

Yes.

GOV.UK specifically states that Tax-Free Childcare can be used to pay for holiday clubs and playschemes, provided the childcare provider is an approved provider.

This is something that catches many parents out.

Tax-Free Childcare isn't just for nursery fees.

If you're eligible, you can use your account for childcare during the school holidays too.

At Camp Glide, we're a registered childcare provider and we accept Tax-Free Childcare payments.

So, if your child is attending one of our holiday clubs, you can select Tax-Free Childcare as your payment method when booking.

How Does Tax-Free Childcare Work With Camp Glide?

We've tried to make the process as straightforward as possible.

Our bookings are managed through Enrolmy, our online booking system.

When you make your Camp Glide booking, you'll select your location and the sessions you want, create or log into your account, enter your child's details and choose your payment method.

If you're using Tax-Free Childcare, the process works slightly differently from simply paying by card.

Here's the basic process.

Step 1: Book Your Camp Glide Sessions

Choose your Camp Glide location and the holiday club dates you'd like your child to attend.

Complete your booking through our online booking system.

👉 Book a Camp Glide Holiday Club

Step 2: Choose Tax-Free Childcare as Your Payment Method

During the booking process, select the Tax-Free Childcare payment option.

You'll need your Tax-Free Childcare details available.

Camp Glide's Enrolmy booking system is set up to identify payments made through childcare schemes, helping us reconcile the payment against your booking.

Step 3: Release the Money From Your Childcare Account

Once you've made your booking, you'll need to arrange the payment from your Tax-Free Childcare account.

Don't leave this until the last minute.

Camp Glide advises parents to release funds promptly because childcare voucher and Tax-Free Childcare payments can take several days to reach us.

This is particularly important if your child's session is coming up soon.

A booking isn't the same as having paid for the booking, so make sure the payment reaches us within the required timeframe.

Step 4: Your Payment Is Reconciled

Once Camp Glide receives the payment, we can match it against your booking.

Enrolmy is designed to help childcare providers manage and reconcile Tax-Free Childcare and voucher payments, which makes the process much easier than manually matching every payment.

How Much Could You Save?

This depends on how much you spend and how much Tax-Free Childcare allowance you have available.

The basic calculation is simple.

For every £8 you pay into your Tax-Free Childcare account, the government adds £2.

So, for example:

1. You pay in £100
2. Government adds £25
3. Total available £125

So if your child has several weeks of holiday club booked, the saving can become significant.

Remember, there are limits on the government contribution, and eligibility rules apply.

What If I've Already Got Money in My Tax-Free Childcare Account?

That's absolutely fine.

You don't have to put money into the account specifically for every individual Camp Glide booking.

If you already have money available in your Tax-Free Childcare account, you can use it to pay for eligible childcare.

This can be particularly useful if you've been paying into your account throughout the year and have built up a balance ready for the school holidays.

The government has specifically highlighted that families can use Tax-Free Childcare accounts to help pay for holiday activities.

Can I Use Tax-Free Childcare for Other Camp Glide Services?

Tax-Free Childcare can be used for approved childcare, and Camp Glide accepts it for its childcare services where applicable.

That includes our holiday clubs as well as our breakfast and after-school clubs.

If you're already using Tax-Free Childcare to pay for your regular wraparound care, it's worth checking whether you can use the same account for holiday childcare too.

👉 Breakfast & After-School Clubs

What About Childcare Vouchers?

Tax-Free Childcare isn't the only way parents can pay for childcare.

Camp Glide also accepts childcare vouchers from registered voucher providers. We are registered with most voucher providers and can register with new providers where appropriate.

However, Tax-Free Childcare and workplace childcare voucher schemes are different schemes, and you generally can't use both at the same time. If you're already using a salary-sacrifice childcare voucher scheme, check your circumstances carefully before switching.

What If I Don't Have Tax-Free Childcare Yet?

If you think you might be eligible but haven't opened an account, it's worth looking into it.

You can apply through the government's childcare support service.

You'll need to provide information about yourself, your child and your circumstances, and the government will determine whether you're eligible.

Don't assume you're not eligible without checking.

👉 Apply for Tax-Free Childcare through GOV.UK

What Does This Actually Mean for the Cost of Camp Glide?

It's easy to look at a holiday club price and simply compare the headline number with another provider.

But there's an important difference between the price you see and the actual cost to your family.

If you're eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, childcare vouchers or can claim eligible childcare costs through

Universal Credit, the amount you ultimately have to fund yourself can be significantly lower.

And there's another thing worth checking when comparing holiday clubs: how many hours are you actually getting for the price?

Some holiday clubs offer shorter days, so a lower headline price doesn't necessarily mean you're getting better value.

Here's a practical example

Imagine two holiday clubs:

Club A charges £40 for a 9am to 3pm day.

That's 6 hours of childcare, or approximately £6.67 per hour.

Camp Glide charges £39.95 for a 9am to 5pm day. (extended hours available)

That's 8 hours of childcare, or approximately £4.99 per hour.

At first glance, Camp Glide appears just as expensive.

But you're actually getting three additional hours of childcare, and the hourly rate is lower.

Now consider how childcare support can affect the real cost.

If you're eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, the government contributes £2 for every £8 you pay into your account, subject to the scheme's limits.

So a £39.95 Camp Glide session would require £31.96 of your own money, with £7.99 contributed by the government.

Your effective cost becomes £31.96 for 8 hours of childcare, or around £3.99 per hour.

That's a very different comparison from simply looking at the £40 headline price.

What about Childcare Vouchers, Universal Credit or The Childcare Grant Scheme?

The same principle applies, although the way the support works is different.

If you receive childcare vouchers through a workplace scheme, you may be able to use them to pay for eligible Camp Glide childcare.

Similarly, eligible families receiving Universal Credit may be able to claim back some of their childcare costs, subject to the rules of the scheme. Universal Credit can pay up to 85% of your registered childcare costs if you are working, up to a monthly maximum of £1,071.09 for one child and £1,836.16 for two or more children.

Parents in education or training may be eligible for the Childcare Grant Scheme. This is where the parent pays just 15% of the cost of childcare. The rest is paid by the government. 

In this case our £39.95 9am to 5pm day would effectively cost just £5.99 in this instance.

This means it's worth looking at the effective cost to your family, rather than simply comparing the advertised daily price.

What About Clubs That Aren't Approved Childcare Providers? A Breakdown of effective cost.

This is another important consideration.

Not every activity provider or holiday camp is an approved childcare provider for the purposes of government childcare support.

If a provider isn't eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, childcare vouchers or relevant childcare support, you may have to pay the full advertised price yourself.

For example, imagine:

Provider A

£36.95 per day, but isn't an approved childcare provider.

You pay the full £36.95.

Camp Glide

£39.95 per day and accepts eligible childcare payment schemes.

For a family using Tax-Free Childcare, the effective cost could be £31.96, based on the standard £2 government contribution for every £8 paid in, subject to the scheme's rules and limits.

So although Camp Glide's advertised price is £3 higher, the family could actually spend £5 less themselves.

And that's before considering the number of hours included.

This is why comparing holiday clubs purely on the headline price can be misleading.

When you're choosing childcare, look at:

• The total number of hours provided
• The hourly rate
• What's included in the price
• Whether the provider is an approved childcare provider
• Whether you can use Tax-Free Childcare
• Whether you can use childcare vouchers
• Whether you can claim eligible costs through Universal Credit
• Any additional charges

The cheapest-looking holiday club isn't necessarily the cheapest option for your family.

A final point about childcare support

Eligibility and the amount you can receive depend on your individual circumstances, and the rules around Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit, Childcare Grant and childcare voucher schemes are different.

It's always worth checking the current government guidance to understand what you're entitled to.

But if you're eligible, these schemes can make a significant difference to the real cost of childcare.

At Camp Glide, we're pleased to accept Tax-Free Childcare and childcare vouchers, helping eligible families make the most of the support available to them.

One Important Thing to Remember

Tax-Free Childcare can make paying for holiday club easier, but it doesn't change Camp Glide's booking and cancellation policies.

Once you've made a booking, you're responsible for the payment in accordance with our terms and conditions.

Our standard cancellation policy requires 14 days' notice, although some bookings have the option of

purchasing a shorter, 24-hour cancellation period.

So, before booking, make sure you've chosen the dates you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Tax-Free Childcare to pay for Camp Glide?

Yes. Camp Glide accepts Tax-Free Childcare payments, subject to the usual eligibility and scheme requirements.

Does Tax-Free Childcare cover holiday clubs?

Yes. GOV.UK specifically confirms that Tax-Free Childcare can be used for holiday clubs and playschemes where the provider is approved.

How much does the government contribute?

For every £8 you pay into your account, the government adds £2, subject to the scheme's limits. The maximum government contribution is normally £2,000 per child per year.

How do I pay Camp Glide using Tax-Free Childcare?

Book your Camp Glide sessions through Enrolmy, select the appropriate Tax-Free Childcare payment option and then release the funds through your childcare account.

Make sure you release the funds promptly because payments can take several days to reach Camp Glide.

Do I need to have a Tax-Free Childcare account before booking?

You should make sure you understand the payment process and can make payment within Camp Glide's required timeframe before booking. If you're new to Tax-Free Childcare, it's sensible to set up your account in advance.

Can I use Tax-Free Childcare for more than one child?

Yes, eligible families can receive Tax-Free Childcare for each qualifying child, subject to the scheme's rules and limits.

Don't Pay More for Holiday Childcare Than You Need To

School holidays are expensive enough without missing out on support you're entitled to.

If you're eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, using the scheme could make a meaningful difference to the cost of your child's holiday club.

At Camp Glide, we want paying for childcare to be as straightforward as possible, which is why we accept Tax-

Free Childcare and childcare vouchers alongside our other payment options.

If you're unsure how the process works, get in touch with our team before booking and we'll do our best to help.

👉 Book Your Camp Glide Holiday Club

👉 Contact Camp Glide

Useful Official Resources

👉Tax-Free Childcare, GOV.UK

👉Childcare Choices, Tax-Free Childcare