Millions of families are being urged to claim a benefit worth up to £2,380 from HMRC before the deadline this Saturday.

Parents with children can apply for free childcare, known as Tax Free Childcare, but must obtain the code to access the funds by this coming Saturday, August 31, or risk missing out on the handout for the entire upcoming school term, reports the Express.

If your child's next term begins in September - be it a school term or nursery - you must submit your application for childcare cost support by Saturday. It can take up to seven days for eligibility to be confirmed by HMRC, so swift action is necessary to avoid disappointment.

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Any parent whose children reach nine months old between April 1 and August 31 this year, or who turned three within the same dates, are affected. Anyone who returned to work or started a new job before September 30 2024 must also apply by August 31 to receive the money.

The scheme operates by the government opening a childcare costs account which is then shared with your chosen nursery, and the nursery reduces the amount it charges you to account for the money it receives from the government. If your child is aged between nine months and two years old, you get 15 free hours, and from age three you get 30 free hours.

For every £8 you contribute, the government will add £2, so if you spend £10,000 on nursery fees, your actual bill will be reduced to £8,000 thanks to the 20 percent contribution from the government.

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