Childcare Payment Audit

Boxer_Lover

Hi there

Wondering if anyone can explain something .... I get help towards childcare fees and have been chosen by tax credits agency to send various forms of information to them for them to check ... I hasten to add I have no problem with this cause I understand they need to check I'm using it for what its paid for etc. However, they have asked for 4 months worth of my bank statements, can anyone tell me why they need to see my bank statements? .... don't get me wrong I've got nothing going on I just find it strange and can't understand why they ask for them.

Thanks very much for your help in advance:A

princessdon

To make sure that the payments are coming out of the account that the benefit is paid into I'd assume.

abby1234519

Doesn't matter if you pay the childcare out of the account its paid in to or a different one.

Bank statements will show the total amount you've paid in childcare over the 4 months to match up against what you claim for.

simplydevine05

I had this a few months ago. I was confused just like you and panicked because I only have internet bank statements. I rang them and they were really helpful and said if I could get my childminder to write them a letter confirming she has my son, how much she had received from me and how much she anticipated to receive until the end of the tax year, on letter headed paper. I panicked when I realised I was £2 a week wrong in my calculations (that's the problem with working out an annual cost and averaging!). It was all fine though. I think they just pick random claims to check. After all, there are too many people claiming what they shouldn't be!

Boxer_Lover

abby1234519 wrote: »

Doesn't matter if you pay the childcare out of the account its paid in to or a different one.

Bank statements will show the total amount you've paid in childcare over the 4 months to match up against what you claim for.

I've looked at my statements online and two of the months shows my cheques coming out but the other two months doesn't cause I must have paid by cash - my husband would have given me the money those months, cause those months I may have paid the credit card out of my account or paid other bills ie vet bill via this account or one month I noticed I withdrew the cash out rather than pay by cheque.

Therefore, my bank statements don't show regular payments from this account to the childminder (they don't accept direct debit otherwise it would be done that way) - I have a letter from my provider saying my son is there full time, costs etc.

Sorry to sound so stupid but I just want to be forearmed really, does it matter if it doesn't show the payments coming out each month? Is there any repercussions because of that?

Thanks

nottslass_2

abby1234519 wrote: »

Doesn't matter if you pay the childcare out of the account its paid in to or a different one.

Bank statements will show the total amount you've paid in childcare over the 4 months to match up against what you claim for.

The only problem with that is if you pay you childcare costs by cash,from maintenance payments via an ex.

princessdon

No it shouldn't matter if paying cash - especially if it she's cash going out. All they are really looking at is that the child is still in the caregiver (and they also usually ask the caregiver to confirm this too), and payments are being made. It's an audit for their end in the main.

Eg if a child was in nursery 3 days being paid 3 days then reached the age of 3 and got the 3 yr funded grant to cover 2.5 days then the parent should inform wtc that their payment dropped. An audit would pick this up. Or if they go to a childminder (can be a relative) and no payments are actually made etc. it's routine in most cases, they just want to audit a random selection and tick the box you show payments. Don't worry - if you had zero proof either from nursery or bank accounts they may have had more questions, but cash or cheque are fine if confirmed by caregiver.

Certainly not an expert but from the other side we get letters from wtc all the time asking to confirm and parents get letters asking for bank. They also need to show it went into your bank too - audits go both ways.

Unless your bankn account shows income over what you declare - with wages as the source you'll probably not hear from them again. From the form they send me I think thy tick proof of attendance, proof billed to parent and proof bill paid. Don't worry

Boxer_Lover

princessdon wrote: »

Certainly not an expert but from the other side we get letters from wtc all the time asking to confirm and parents get letters asking for bank. They also need to show it went into your bank too - audits go both ways.

Unless your bankn account shows income over what you declare - with wages as the source you'll probably not hear from them again. From the form they send me I think thy tick proof of attendance, proof billed to parent and proof bill paid. Don't worry

Thanks very much for the info, its helped loads, think I am just worrying unnecessarily, I have proof of everything, not receiving extra monies not told them about and everything is above board, just I'm not use to claiming things and being asked to prove stuff, only now because I have children ... and plus its learnt me one thing, pay by cheque each month just to tie things up better, lol .... again thanks its put my mind at ease.