Teachers not getting childcare vouchers discussion

adr0ck

so is this just english teachers who can't claim?

FLO_2

djw wrote:

I think Scottish teachers are eligible for the scheme - Scottish Borders Council have been publicising the scheme to their state school teachers.

Not so further North!
Also wondering if we could campaign on behalf of all those grandparents who do such a good job of childminding. They are not allowed to be registered as their grandchildrens childminder- even when all the research shows that they are the next best option after the child's own parents. This means the parents cannot claim any money towards costs as they are not a "recognised childminder". - Very frustrating!!!

stardoman

"Not so further North!
Also wondering if we could campaign on behalf of all those grandparents who do such a good job of childminding. They are not allowed to be registered as their grandchildrens childminder- even when all the research shows that they are the next best option after the child's own parents. This means the parents cannot claim any money towards costs as they are not a "recognised childminder". - Very frustrating!!!"


Just wanted to point out that this is not strictly true. Grandparents can go through the registration process, become registered childminders and then look after their grandchildren for a fee. This seems to happen quite a lot where I live. I'm a registered childminder myself and when I registered there were more grandparents registering who were intending to just look after their own grandchildren than people like me who intend to look after other people's children as a career. These grandparents also received a start up grant of between £300 and £600 which is intended to create childcare places. Grandparents registering goes against the spirit of this as no new spaces are being created as they would look after their grandchild anyway.

I think the registration process itself, and particularly the training involved, puts some grandparents off. I also think that the childcare element of the tax credit should be paid direct to the childcarers, rather than to the parents who then pay the childcarer. One thing which seems to happen a lot is that grandparents register and look after their grandchildren so that the parents can claim the childcare element of the tax credit. Many grandparents do not receive this money as they are happy to look after their grandchildren anyway and see registering as helping their own children out financially. They don't like to feel they are accepting handouts from their own child. If they received the money direct from the governtment they would not feel like they are getting a handout from their children. One of my childminder friends told me that her children need the money. This makes me angry as they shouldn't be claiming the childcare element if they are not paying for it.

Another problem with the money going to the parent who is then supposed to pay a childcarer is fraudulent claims. I've been warned not to give out my registration number to parents after one childminder in my area discovered that 50 families were using her number to claim the childcare element. Somehow her registration number had been passed about and it was only discovered when a random check was carried out. If the money went straight to the childcarer this could not happen.

The whole system is a mess.

Mandy.

Rtype

I'm a Firefighter in Surrey and we're also not entitled to this!
I've found that we are basically not entitled to any of the perks that most county council employees get!

I'm not even classed as a key worker!

summerday

Thanks for bringing this to our attention Martin. I am considering a career in teaching and have written a letter to my MP. If lots of people take an action perhaps the situation will change.

Splats_2

I sent Martin's letter to my MP (Graham Stewart (Con)), and also quoted that I got it from this website (just to try to pressureise him a bit). Had a reply back the other day:

Essentially he sypathized and said things are being done to address this by the government, but did not seem to want to put his support to getting it rectified. Also, he did not give any timescales.

I'll expect now that my son will be out of nursery before teachers get the vouchers (that's not being disparaging with Martin's canpaign, just disillusionment on how slow these things tend to move....)

Anybody else had any replies?

leafton

Yes, I had a reply yesterday. Similar kind of thing- sorry, I feel its unfair, will raise it etc etc.

My son will probably be at secondary school before these changes occur!

Rachel130171

I emailed Martin's letter to my local MP David Cameron. He has written to Ruth Kelly Minister for Education about teachers not getting vouchers. He will contact me again when he has received a reply. I will post any news on this thread.

summerday

I had a reply- it said something along the lines of teachers (rather their union) elected to decline such benefits that are like a salary sacrifice so that it would protect their teachers pension scheme, and unless this is changed the childcare vouchers aren't an option. Sorry I threw away my letter at the time as I wasn't impressed with it!

Sarah

curtlyb

Martin,
While your writing to the MP's can you also ask them to make my company give me a guaranteed final salary pension, let me retire at 60, i wouldn't mind 13 weeks a year holiday if its possible..... :rolleyes:

Cheers matey