NICSS for Parents and Carers
Parents & carers
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Any working parent or carer receiving Tax-Free Childcare can get 15% off registered childcare, up to £203 per child, per month - as long as your childcare provider is signed up to NICSS too. Here is how to check you qualify, register your child and keep your details up to date.
Already registered?
The NICSS parent portal
Sign in to check your child's registration, upload your latest Tax-Free Childcare confirmation and update eligibility when we prompt you.
Go to the NICSS portal (opens in a new tab)Opens SmartSimple in a new tab.
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How to Register
Register your child in five steps
Have these ready before you start
- You will need
- Your child's Tax-Free Childcare payment reference
- And
- Your latest Tax-Free Childcare confirmation
- Time needed
- About 10 minutes per child
Register once for each eligible child and for each childcare provider they attend.
The five steps
In order. Each step links to the guidance you need; the last one takes you to the NICSS parent portal.
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Who can benefit
Step 1: Check that you are eligible
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Can't find it? See the FAQs
Step 2: Find your child's Tax-Free Childcare payment reference
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What to save
Step 3: Save your latest Tax-Free Childcare confirmation
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Watch the walkthrough (opens in a new tab)
Step 4: Create and activate your NICSS parent account
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Go to the NICSS portal (opens in a new tab)
Step 5: Register your child on the portal
Eligibility
Who can benefit
Any working parent or carer receiving Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) is eligible for the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme, as long as their childcare provider is also signed up. NICSS is not a separate application to HMRC - it works alongside your existing Tax-Free Childcare account. If you are not registered for Tax-Free Childcare yet, start there.
To take part you need:
A live Tax-Free Childcare account for your child, with a payment reference from HMRC
A childcare provider that is registered with NICSS - ask your setting, or check the providers page
What NICSS gives your family
15% reduction
Lower childcare fees
Eligible working parents and carers receive a 15% reduction in childcare fees, up to £203 per child, per month - up to £406 at the higher Tax-Free Childcare disability rate.
Choice
Choose on quality, not just cost
The subsidy could help you pick a participating childcare provider based on quality and suitability rather than cost alone.
Flexibility
Afford more of the hours you need
Reduced costs could help you take on additional childcare or wraparound hours, return to work or increase your working hours.
Keeping Up to Date
Keeping your child's eligibility up to date
NICSS eligibility is linked to Tax-Free Childcare, so you need to reconfirm each quarter to keep receiving the discount. It takes three steps.
1. Look out for our email reminders
When it is time to reconfirm, we will email you several reminders so you have plenty of notice.
2. Update your child's eligibility on the portal
Sign in to the parent portal and update your child's eligibility when prompted by NICSS.
3. Upload your latest confirmation
Upload the latest Tax-Free Childcare confirmation showing your child's name and their new quarterly expiry date.
Do this promptly
Completing your reconfirmation as soon as you are prompted helps prevent any interruption to your subsidy.
Video Guides
Watch how it works
Short walkthroughs from the NICSS team.
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Watch the video: An overview for parents and carers (opens in a new tab)
An overview for parents and carers
What the scheme is, who qualifies and how the subsidy reaches you. About three minutes.
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Watch the video: Registering your child (opens in a new tab)
Registering your child
A walkthrough of creating your parent account and registering your child on the portal.
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Watch the video: Updating your child's eligibility (opens in a new tab)
Updating your child's eligibility
How to reconfirm your Tax-Free Childcare details and upload your latest confirmation each quarter.
Useful links
Everything else you may need. External links open in a new tab.
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Sign in to your childcare account (opens in a new tab)
HMRC · gov.uk
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The NICSS parent portal (opens in a new tab)
early-years.smartsimpleuk.com
FAQs
Questions parents and carers ask
The most common questions. Each answer has its own link, so you can share it.
How is the subsidy expected to work in practice?
Providers who decide to offer the subsidy will reduce the normal fee charged to eligible parents by 15%. This is the subsidy that will be paid by the Northern Ireland Executive.
Your bill or invoice should show the normal fee, the 15% subsidy and the net amount you will be expected to pay.
Parents can then obtain a further 20% contribution towards their reduced bill through Tax-Free Childcare and pay their provider in the usual way using their Tax-Free Childcare account.
For example, for every £8 you pay into your Tax-Free Childcare account, the government will pay in £2 for you to use to pay your childcare provider.
Can I receive the subsidy if I work part-time?
Yes, provided that you meet the Tax-Free Childcare eligibility criteria.
Your childcare provider must also be registered and signed up to the Tax-Free Childcare scheme and must offer NICSS.
Can you provide an example of how the subsidy might work?
The following is an example of how NICSS and Tax-Free Childcare might affect a monthly childcare bill for an eligible parent.
Monthly fee normally charged by the provider: £1,000
NICSS subsidy at 15%: £150
Reduced monthly fee charged by the provider: £850
Tax-Free Childcare contribution towards the reduced bill: £170
Net cost of childcare fees to the parent: £680
For every £8 an eligible parent pays into their Tax-Free Childcare account, the government pays in £2 to use towards payment of their childcare provider.
Is there a maximum amount that can be claimed under the subsidy scheme?
Yes. The maximum amount that can be claimed under the subsidy scheme is £203 per child, per month. This is equivalent to £2,436 per child, per year.
This is based on a maximum childcare cost of £1,353 per month or £16,236 annually.
If your childcare costs are below the relevant maximum, the full 15% subsidy can be applied to those eligible childcare costs.
Will parents using Childcare Vouchers be eligible for the subsidy scheme?
No. NICSS will only be available to parents who can demonstrate their eligibility for Tax-Free Childcare through a Tax-Free Childcare account.
Tax-Free Childcare is the current government-supported scheme and is open to everyone who meets the eligibility criteria. The Childcare Voucher scheme was the predecessor to Tax-Free Childcare and closed to new entrants in 2018.
Parents who are still using Childcare Vouchers and are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare can transfer to Tax-Free Childcare at any point to benefit from NICSS.
Contact
Contact the NICSS team
If you have a question before registering your child, or need help with the parent portal, the NICSS team at Early Years can help.
- Telephone
- +44 (0)28 9066 2825 - option 3
- Portal
- Go to the NICSS portal