# The Lifelong Learning (Student Support) (Amendment of Fees and Awards etc.) Regulations 2026, Regulation 76: Childcare grant - qualification and basic amount

Extent: E+W

(1) An eligible student (“A”) qualifies for a childcare grant in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course in accordance with this regulation.
(2) For the purposes of regulation 58(1)(b), the threshold number of credits in relation to the childcare grant is 120 credits of study for the course year.
(3) Subject to paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7) and (9), the childcare grant is available in respect of any day of a course year in relation to which A incurs prescribed childcare charges for a dependent child who—
(a) is under the age of 15 immediately before the beginning of the course year, or
(b) has special educational needs within the meaning of section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and is under the age of 17 immediately before the beginning of the course year.
(4) A does not qualify for a childcare grant if—
(a) A or A’s partner is entitled to an award of universal credit the calculation of which includes an amount under regulation 31 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 (childcare costs element),
(b) A’s partner has elected to receive financial support for childcare under a healthcare bursary, or
(c) A’s partner is eligible for a healthcare tuition payment and has elected to receive financial support for childcare under section 63 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968.
(5) A does not qualify for a childcare grant during any entitlement period for which A or A’s partner has made a valid declaration of eligibility under the Childcare Payments Act 2014 in relation to any child.
(6) A does not qualify for a childcare grant if the prescribed childcare charges that A incurs for A’s child are paid or to be paid by A to A’s partner.
(7) Childcare grant is not payable in respect of any prescribed childcare charges unless the application from the person seeking payment of the prescribed childcare charges reaches the Secretary of State—
(a) within the period of 13 weeks beginning with the end of the last day of the week in which the student incurred those prescribed childcare charges, or
(b) such later date as the Secretary of State specifies, having regard to all the circumstances of the case.
(8) Subject to paragraph (9), the basic amount of childcare grant for each week of a course year in relation to which A incurs prescribed childcare charges is—
(a) for one dependent child, 85% of the prescribed childcare charges, subject to a maximum weekly amount, or
(b) for two or more dependent children, 85% of the prescribed childcare charges, subject to a maximum weekly amount.
(9) A does not qualify for a childcare grant in relation to a week of a course year where—
(a) the course year is the final year of a course, or
(b) the course is less than one year in duration,
and the week falls after the last day of the course.
(10) For the purposes of calculating the basic amount of childcare grant under paragraph (8)—
(a) where a week in respect of which prescribed childcare charges are incurred falls partly within and partly outside the course year in respect of which childcare grant is payable under this regulation, the maximum weekly amount of childcare grant is calculated by multiplying the relevant maximum weekly amount in sub-paragraph (b) by the number of days of that week falling within the course year and dividing the product by seven;
(b) the maximum weekly amount is—
(i) £199.62 for the purposes of paragraph (8)(a);
(ii) £342.24 for the purposes of paragraph (8)(b).
(11) Subject to paragraph (12), in this regulation “prescribed childcare charges” means childcare charges of a description prescribed for the purposes of section 12 of the Tax Credits Act 2002.
(12) “Prescribed childcare charges” do not include childcare charges in respect of childcare provided by a nanny unless the Secretary of State has determined that, owing to exceptional circumstances, it would be appropriate for A to incur childcare charges in respect of childcare provided by a nanny.
(13) In paragraph (12), “nanny” means a person who cares for a child in any of the circumstances specified in article 3 of the Childcare (Exemptions from Registration) Order 2008 (and is consequently not required to be registered in either of the childcare registers established by section 32 of the Childcare Act 2006).
(14) In this regulation, the terms “entitlement period” and “valid declaration of eligibility” have the meanings they are given in the Childcare Payments Act 2014 and regulations made under that Act.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/858/regulation/76 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/lifelong-learning-student-support-amendment-of-fees-and-awards-etc-regulations-2026/regulation-76
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.