CCA is a means tested allowance payable to NHS Bursary students who incur childcare costs with a registered provider, whilst attending their course.
All NHS Bursary funded students who have dependent children are entitled to apply for CCA unless:
- they have an EU fees only award
- they’re seconded by their employer
- their spouse, partner, or civil partner has chosen not to declare their income for means testing purposes
- they, their spouse, partner, or civil partner receive or expect to receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, Tax Free Childcare or Universal Credit (UC)
The child or children being cared for must be under age 15 on the first day of the academic year in question.
Children registered as having special educational needs may be eligible to receive CCA if they’re under age 17 on the first day of the academic year.
CCA is means tested in conjunction with Dependants Allowance and Parent Learning Allowance.
You must keep your original receipts for all childcare costs.
Partner is a student
You cannot claim CCA if your partner receives a childcare grant from another funding body, such as Student Finance England.
If your partner receives a form of funding which does not include CCA, we must see evidence such as a Notification of Award (NOA) letter from their funding authority.
If your partner is also an NHS Student, only one person must apply for CCA as we can only pay this to one of you.
If you or your partner go on maternity leave, you’re not entitled to CCA until you or they return to the course, regardless of who is receiving CCA.
Claiming from another funding body
You can only claim childcare costs from one funding body.
If you’re claiming childcare costs through the NHS Student Bursary, you cannot claim through H M Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Tax Credits, UC or any other funding body.
You’re not eligible to claim childcare costs from the NHS Student Bursary if you have any claims for the childcare element of Working Tax Credit or UC, even if that claim is for another child.
If your Tax Credit award letter from HMRC shows you’ve made an application for childcare, even if your award is zero, you’re unable to claim childcare costs through NHS Bursaries.
You must completely withdraw your claim for childcare with HMRC or UC for us to consider your application.
Backdated childcare applications
Students can apply for backdated childcare costs.
We’ll only backdate costs up to 9 months on receipt of all required documentation.
If you’ve had a change of circumstances such as having a new dependant or your child has just started to attend a registered childcare provider, the 9-month time limit begins from the date of the change.
Applying for CCA
The option to apply for CCA will be available after your basic award has been processed and approved.
You must complete a CCA application form and upload the completed form to your NHS Bursary account.
Part-time students in receipt of a pro-rata or part-time rate of bursary, are entitled to claim childcare costs at the full rate.
The childcare application will still be means tested in the normal manner but will not be reduced in the same way the part-time bursary award is.