Childcare Vouchers: cut childcare costs by £1,000/year Discussion Area

Bluebell1000

Whether or not you can buy the backdated vouchers entirely depends on your employer, as stated in the email above - you need to ask your hr department or payroll as it all varies

turtlemoose

Which is what I said originally

DapTab

Hi,

Currently, my husband is getting the childcare voucher in the amount of £243 monthly. In a few months later, he will get the salary up and will be under the group of higher-rate taxpayer.

I understand that higher-rate taxpayers can only get childcare voucher in £124 monthly. However, if higher/top-rate payers who joined before 5 April 2011, as long as they don't take a break from the childcare voucher scheme of more than 12 months, they can pay for £243 of childcare with vouchers each month.

In our case, my husband joined the childcare voucher scheme before 5 April 2011 as a basic-rate taxpayer and do not break from the scheme (thought he changed the voucher provider last year as he changed the job), once he is the higher-rate taxpayer in few months later, whether he still can pay for £243 of childcare voucher per month or £124 of it only?

onlyroz

I think that your husband has to have been receiving vouchers from the same employer and through the same voucher provider since 5th April 2011 to continue to receive the vouchers at the higher rate.

rpc

DapTab wrote: »

(thought he changed the voucher provider last year as he changed the job)

Change of employer breaks scheme membership, so if this was after April 2011 then he is under new rules.

topyam

What's the minimum amount I need to contribute to stay in the Childcare Voucher scheme atm?

onlyroz

topyam wrote: »

What's the minimum amount I need to contribute to stay in the Childcare Voucher scheme atm?

Seems to depend on the voucher provider.

skip_1

Hi all, can anyone advise on our situation. Apologies as this may be a little long winded for what am I asking (can the childminder draw down more than the maximum monthly voucher value if I accrue vouchers).

I am looking to claim childcare vouchers to the amount of £243 per month which I understand is the maximum.

Our childcare costs are £288 per month, so I understand that I would have to top up by £45 per month to the childminder.

However, as my wife is a part time teacher we have a childcare set-up whereby our son will only undergo childcare for half of the time over the summer holidays. This would mean that for one month childcare would be £144 and for another (half month saving) £216.

Now I believe that I cannot vary the salary sacrifice, it would need to be £243 per month, which is too much over the summer. Where the excess of £171 in vouchers builds up over the summer hols can our childminder drawdown £288 for each of the following four months rather than the maximum £243, saving us topping up the balance in these months?

onlyroz

I am with edenred and with them you are allowed to accumulate vouchers. You can also pay a childcare provider with a regular monthly payment, which you can stop and start whenever you like, or with one off payments if you like. Some schemes might not be so flexible so it is probably best to check with the provider.

I use an after school and holiday club where I am invoiced half-termly and the amounts vary considerably depending on our plans for the holidays. I have been paying the club £243 a month but found that I had accumulated a positive balance with the club. Recently I paused the payments for a few months allowing the vouchers to accumulate in the account. I'll probably use the extra vouchers over the summer holiday, or perhaps use them to pay for a PGL break next year.

luckwudaveit

I joined the Kiddivouchers scheme through my employer's scheme and committed a small amount. However, for personal reasons, the nursery hasn't worked out for us, so we never got past settling in and I have the amount remaining in my Kiddivouchers account. I have stopped paying anymore into Kiddivouchers.

Although I am technically signed up to the scheme, I am not paying any in to it. Will I still be eligible to remain in it after autumn? Would I be wise to commit, say, a fiver, each month?