Childcare vouchers and SMP

AnnaV

Gutted - think I may lose out of £50 a week for the first six weeks of my maternity pay because I had childcare vouchers. Ironically I stopped the vouchers after Dec 2010 as my new childcare provider does not take them - and they calculate my weekly earnings on Oct-Dec 2010 apparently.

So actually childcare vouchers have cost me money rather than saved it! :eek:

Doesn't seem right...

honeypop

Yes unfortunately if you were claiming vouchers during the period they use to calculate the pay you will receive during maternity leave, then they will take the new lower salary for the calculation.

I know it's annoying for you but it is right.

AnnaV

Well a word of warning to anyone now about four months pregnant...

honeypop

I thought it was well documented pretty much anywhere you read about childcare vouchers and whether it's worth someone claiming for them or not, it normally always mentions to be careful of this. Advice is normally to opt of of the scheme for the calculating period, then back in again so that you can continue to claim while on maternity leave should you wish to.

AnnaV

So is it worth me opting back in now then? I opted out as my childcarer doesn't take the vouchers but we might swap anyway.

Feel pretty gutted - usually quite good at this sort of thing.

anderson8

AnnaV wrote: »

Well a word of warning to anyone now about four months pregnant...

when do you go on maternity leave?

AnnaV

Middle of April. Missed out on the health in maternity grant (£190) by two weeks too. Oh well.

Counting_Pennies_2

This is something that should have been listed in the Maternity policy by your employers. If not the maternity policy, it should have been in the childcare voucher policy when you signed up for it.

You should have been given a copy of the maternity policy when you announced you were pregnant.

I would say take it up with your employer and ask why it wasn't in the policy and what they can do now to recompense you.

honeypop

Not sure every company has a specific 'maternity policy' that is handed out, I've never heard of one anywhere I have worked, just the allowances (statutory or company) for pay and leave etc in the handbook or similar.

I don't think it's the employers responsibility to recompense her for realising too late that the reduced salary due to childcare vouchers would affect the SMP, be extremely lucky to get a positive response to that request I think.

onlyroz

If you'd stayed on the vouchers then your employer would have carried on paying them throughout your SMP.

MoneySavingMisfit

Can I just ask a quick question...

I am only 5 and a bit weeks pregnant so still very early, but in terms of the vouchers and SMP, does it affect me because the vouchers come out of my husbands wage?

Thanks

MSM