HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a service alert for parents and guardians across the UK, confirming that the national childcare application portal will be offline for scheduled maintenance this week.
The updated guidance, issued on 15 September 2026, confirms that the digital service will be unavailable from 6:30pm on Thursday 17 September 2026 until 5am on Friday 18 September 2026.
The downtime affects both the Tax-Free Childcare scheme and the application system for 30 hours of free childcare. As of 16 September 2026, the service is reported to be fully operational, but users are advised to complete any urgent applications or reconfirmations before the Thursday evening cut-off.
Upcoming deadlines and eligibility
The maintenance comes as parents are reminded of the strict deadlines for the next school term. Families planning to use the 30 hours free childcare scheme for the term starting on 1 January 2027 must ensure their application is completed and approved by 31 December 2026.
HMRC also reminded users that eligibility for these schemes is not a one-time process. To maintain funding, parents must sign in to the portal and reconfirm their details every three months. Failing to do so can result in payments being paused or the loss of a childcare place for the following term.
The Tax-Free Childcare scheme allows eligible working parents to receive a 20 per cent government top-up on the money they pay into their childcare account. This is capped at £2,000 per child per year.
While the service is expected to return to full functionality by 5am on Friday morning, HMRC has not specified the exact nature of the maintenance. Parents who find their reconfirmation window expires during the scheduled downtime are encouraged to log in as soon as the service is restored.
