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Family and childcare
Childcare help, Child Benefit and parental leave
- Can I get 30 hours free childcare?Free Childcare for Working Parents: 30 hours a week for children aged 9 months to 4, who's eligible and when to apply. From GOV.UK.
- Can I get a Sure Start Maternity Grant?Who can get the £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant, including for twins or triplets, and when to claim. Scotland has a different scheme. From GOV.UK.
- Can I get Maternity Allowance?Maternity Allowance pays £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings for up to 39 weeks if you can't get SMP, such as if self-employed. When to apply. From GOV.UK.
- Can my 2 year old get free childcare?Free childcare for 2 year olds in England: 15 hours a week if you get certain benefits or your child has extra needs, and how to apply. From GOV.UK.
- Can my 3 or 4 year old get 15 hours free childcare?15 hours free childcare: all 3 and 4 year olds in England get 570 free hours a year, usually 15 a week. When it starts and how to get a place. From GOV.UK.
- How do I change my child's surname?How to change a child's surname in England and Wales: who must agree, deed poll options, the £53.05 and £263 fees and court orders. From GOV.UK.
- How do I claim Child Benefit?How to apply for Child Benefit online, in the HMRC app or on form CH2, what you need, backdating up to 3 months and when you get paid. From GOV.UK.
- How does adoption work in the UK?Who can adopt a child in England and Wales, the assessment, the 10 week rule, the £212 court fee and adoption pay and leave. From GOV.UK.
- How does Shared Parental Leave work?How Shared Parental Leave and Pay work: share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay in your baby's first year. From official GOV.UK guidance.
- How does Tax-Free Childcare work?How Tax-Free Childcare works: £2 top-up for every £8, up to £2,000 a year per child. Who's eligible and how to apply, from GOV.UK.
- How is child maintenance worked out?Child maintenance calculator guide for 2026: how CMS works out payments, the 12%, 16% and 19% rates, the £7 flat rate and shared care. From GOV.UK.
- How much is Child Benefit?Child Benefit rates for 2026/27: £27.05 a week for the eldest child and £17.90 for each other child, plus the high income charge. From GOV.UK.
- How much is Statutory Adoption Pay?Adoption leave and pay 2026/27: 52 weeks of leave, with Statutory Adoption Pay at 90% of pay for 6 weeks, then £194.32 or 90% for 33 weeks. From GOV.UK.
- How much is the foster care allowance?How much do foster carers get paid in England in 2026/27? The minimum weekly allowance by age and area, plus tax relief and benefits. From GOV.UK.
- What are Healthy Start vouchers?Who can get Healthy Start, how much goes on the card each week, what you can buy, free vitamins and how to apply. From the NHS Healthy Start service.
- What help can I get with childcare costs?Childcare funding explained: Tax-Free Childcare (£2 for every £8 you pay), Universal Credit childcare costs, study help and free hours. From GOV.UK.
- What is Child Benefit?Child Benefit explained: £27.05 a week for the first child, £17.90 for others in 2026/27, who can get it, how to claim and the income charge. From GOV.UK.
- What is child maintenance?What child maintenance is, private arrangements vs the Child Maintenance Service, who can apply, collection fees and the effect on benefits. From GOV.UK.
- What is Guardian's Allowance?Guardian's Allowance pays £22.95 a week in 2026/27, tax free on top of Child Benefit, if you bring up a child whose parents have died. From GOV.UK.
- What is maternity leave?Maternity leave explained: 52 weeks' leave, when to start, telling your employer, and Statutory Maternity Pay of £194.32 a week for 2026/27. From GOV.UK.
- What is neonatal leave?Neonatal Care Leave: up to 12 weeks off if your baby is in neonatal care, pay of £194.32 a week in 2026/27, and how to tell your employer. From GOV.UK.
- What is parental responsibility?What parental responsibility means, who has it automatically, unmarried fathers, step-parents, agreements and the £270 court order. From GOV.UK.
- What is the Best Start Grant?Best Start Grant in Scotland for 2026/27: Pregnancy and Baby, Early Learning and School Age Payments, who qualifies and how to apply. From mygov.scot.