This means that working parents of children, who will be aged under four on 31 August 2017, can now apply through the new digital childcare service for tax-free childcare and receive a government top-up of £2 for every £8 that they pay into their tax-free childcare account.

All parents of disabled children (under 17 years old) are also able to apply for tax-free childcare from the same date 24 April.

Tax-free childcare is intended to cut childcare costs by up to £2,000 per year for each child under 12 years old, or £4,000 per year for disabled children under 17 years old. The programme will be rolled out through the year, with all eligible parents able to receive it by the end of 2017.

In addition, parents of two to three year olds, who will be eligible for a 30 hours free childcare place in September, can apply through the childcare service and start arranging a place with their childcare provider. Parents will only need to make a single application for both schemes when their children become eligible.

There is more information on the government’s childcare schemes, together with details of how parents can pre-register or apply, on the childcare choices website, which includes a childcare calculator to show eligible families how much they could receive.

The Childcare Choices website is here.