Invoices

To help keep things simple and transparent, our childcare invoices are issued in arrears. This means you’ll receive your invoice after the childcare has been provided.

We calculate invoices up to the last Friday of each month. As a result, most invoices will cover a four‑week period, but depending on how the dates fall, some months will include a five‑week period instead.

This approach ensures your invoice always reflects the exact childcare you’ve used. If you ever have any questions about your invoice or how the billing periods work, please speak to the Childcare Manager for your child's out of school club or email OOSC@fife.gov.uk. 

For further information on how to pay your invoice including by Direct Debit, Online, Telephone, Paypoint and Post Office etc. visit Fife Council's Website.

Financial Support

Childcare Vouchers

We’re pleased to confirm that we accept childcare vouchers as a method of payment for your childcare invoices. If you already have a childcare voucher account, this is often the best and most cost‑effective way to pay, as you can continue to benefit from tax and National Insurance savings available to existing members of the scheme.

How Childcare Vouchers Work
Childcare vouchers are part of an employer‑supported scheme that allows parents who joined before 4 October 2018 to pay for registered childcare using a portion of their salary before tax and National Insurance are applied. This can offer savings of up to £933 per year, per parent. 

If you are already enrolled, you can continue using vouchers as long as you remain eligible through your employer. Payments must be made directly to a registered childcare provider, including nurseries, childminders, playgroups, wraparound care, and after‑school clubs. 

Why Vouchers Might Be the Best Option for You
If you already hold an active childcare voucher account:

• You can continue to enjoy the tax and National Insurance savings available to legacy users.
• Vouchers can be used flexibly with any registered childcare service, giving you freedom to choose what works best for your family. 
• Many parents find that the voucher scheme offers better value than switching to Tax‑Free Childcare, depending on income and individual circumstances.

(Note: The voucher scheme is closed to new entrants since 2018.)

 If you need any help to add us as your childcare provider, please email oosc@fife.gov.uk. 

Universal Credit

If you receive Universal Credit, you may be able to get help with the cost of childcare so you can work or take up a job offer.  Universal Credit can reimburse up to 85% of your registered childcare costs.

Universal Credit works on a “pay first, claim back” basis: you usually pay your childcare provider upfront and then report the cost through your Universal Credit account. The eligible amount is then added to your next Universal Credit payment. 

If you need any help with applying for or navigating the Universal Credit system you visit Citzens Advice Scotland's website and the UK Governments Universal Credit Childcare Costs website. 

Tax Free Childcare

Tax‑Free Childcare is a government scheme that helps working families with the cost of registered childcare. For every £8 you pay into your online childcare account, the government adds an extra £2, giving you up to £2,000 per child per year (or up to £4,000 if your child is disabled).

To learn more about how Tax‑Free Childcare works and check if it’s right for your family, please visit the Our Fife - Get Help website.