Citation, commencement and extent

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Universal Credit (Childcare) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and come into force on 28th June 2023.

(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales and Scotland.

Amendment of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013

2. —(1) The Universal Credit Regulations 2013( 3 ) are amended as follows.

(2) For paragraph (3) of regulation 34 (amount of childcare costs element) substitute—

“ (3) “ Other relevant support” means payments out of funds provided by the Secretary of State or by Scottish or Welsh Ministers in connection with the claimant’s participation in work-related activity or training but does not include payments made by the Secretary of State where—

(a) the claimant—

(i) has taken up, or is due to take up, paid work; or

(ii) has increased, or is due to increase, their hours of paid work;

(b) the claimant is required to pay the charges for relevant childcare before they receive a payment of universal credit that reflects the increase in the claimant’s earned income as a result of sub-paragraph (a); and

(c) if the payment is not taken into account in determining the charges paid by the claimant for childcare the claimant will be less likely to continue in paid work or maintain the increase in hours of paid work. ” .

(3) In regulation 36 (table showing amount of elements), in the table—

(a) in the row under “Childcare costs element” showing the maximum amount for one child, for “£646.35” substitute “£950.92” ;

(b) in the row under “Childcare costs element” showing the maximum amount for two or more children, for “£1,108.04” substitute “£1,630.15” .