Could someone please confirm whether the disregard for childcare cost is limited to the amount awarded as part of WTC award.
I have a problem with a case where the childcare award does not cover the full cost, the tenant is paying a further £50 pw to meet the full cost. Does the assessment for HB & CTB have to disregard this as well?

The disregard for HB purposes is the actual amount of childcare costs paid by the claimant up to a maximum of £135 a week for one child and £200 a week for two or more children.

The full award of Tax Credit is taken into account as income - this will include the childcare element. None of this can be disregarded.

So, a claimant gets extra Working Tax Credit to take into account childcare costs; this extra money is then taken into account in full for HB purposes; but HB has its own childcare disregard.