The UK Nursery Authority (UKNA) is a Defence scheme for eligible working parents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that will reimburse costs for the difference in early years childcare hours to match the Government funded childcare they would be entitled to if assigned in England.
The scheme launches in September 2026, the scheme is for:
- Regular or Full-Time Reserve Service personnel
- Families living in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
- Families with children aged between 9 months and 2 years old (9 months to 4 years old in Northern Ireland)
- Working parents who are in paid employment and have an active Tax-Free Childcare account for each child that they want to claim a reimbursement of their childcare costs for. All UKNA claims must have been paid to the provider via the active TFC account prior to being submitted.
An active Tax-Free childcare account means that the parent confirmed eligibility with HMRC every three months and receives the 20% top up when funds are deposited into the account.
Before registering for UKNA, Service Personnel need to ensure that their children are recorded and verified on JPA. Either parent can apply for a Tax-Free Childcare account, it is important that the parent who administers the account can reconfirm eligibility every three months as without this Service personnel cannot submit claims.
Further advice will be made available in advance of the scheme launching in September.