It's no secret that having a child is expensive. The charity Child Poverty Action Group estimates that, in 2020, one child will cost a couple £71,611 from birth to age 18, and will cost a single parent £97,862. If you add housing and childcare costs, these rise to £152,747 and £185,413 respectively. With that in mind, it makes sense to make the most of the help and support offered to parents.
Child benefit
You can apply for Child Tax Credit if you already receive Working Tax Credit. If you don’t, you might be eligible for Universal Credit instead, depending on your circumstances. Please visit www.gov.uk to find out more.
Baby box
For residents in Scotland, the government provides a Baby Box to all newborns (not just your first baby). The boxes contain a range of essential items, including clothing that fits zero to six months. It’s available free of charge – your midwife can help you register for it.
Childcare costs
Childcare can be one of the most difficult costs to factor in, depending on your work commitments. There is help available for families both in and out of work via either Universal Credit or tax free childcare (if you are not claiming Universal Credit).
Universal Credit allows you to reclaim a percentage of monthly childcare costs – you just need to have paid for the care upfront and have the receipts to prove your claim. Eligibility criteria and the amount you receive can change each tax year – check MoneyHelper for the latest information.
Free school meals
Once your child has left nursery and has started school, you may be eligible for free school meals, depending on your location and circumstances.
In England, all pupils in years one and two are automatically eligible for free school meals. The same applies to pupils in Scotland from Primary 1 to Primary 5. For children older than P5 or for the rules in other locations within the UK, you can check your child’s eligibility on MoneyHelper.
Other potential entitlements
When you’re pregnant and for the twelve months after you’ve given birth, you can get NHS prescriptions and dental care for free if you live in parts of the UK where it isn’t already. Find out more from the NHS website
If you’re pregnant and have a low income, you can get additional support. In England, vouchers for basic food supplies are available from Healthy Start, and a maternity grant is available via the Sure Start scheme (subject to eligibility). In Scotland, similar services are provided by Best Start Foods and Best Start Grant.