Problems with childcare support under universal credit?

At Save the Children we're campaigning to make the childcare system work better for families and help our little ones get the best start in life.

Universal credit is being rolled out across the country, but we know there are real problems with the way the childcare support element works. Do you currently get, or will you soon start receiving, childcare support through universal credit? If so, are you concerned about what support is on offer, or finding it doesn’t work for you and your family?

Under universal credit, parents have to pay for childcare costs upfront, before being reimbursed later. Have you found it difficult to pay these upfront childcare costs, or are you worried about how to afford them?

We're trying to find out more about these issues to help us campaign to fix them. If you’ve experienced any of these problems, we’d really like to hear from you. Please do post in this forum. Or alternatively if you'd prefer you can fill in a survey that will come straight through to us here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PYMZG3M.

More broadly, you can also check out the Money Saving Expert guide to childcare costs here, too: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-costs.

Thanks!

Dan at Save the Children