Childcare vouchers: can you remain in the scheme and use them for child #2 once #1 starts school?

SouthLondonUser

We contribute to childcare voucher schemes, which I understand are now closed to new application. I also understand they have been replaced by Tax-Free Childcare (but vouchers work better for us).

The questions are:

• can we remain in the scheme even after child #1 starts school, and use them for child #2?
• There will be a gap of some months between the time child #1 starts school, and the time we start using vouchers for child #2. Would that be OK or do vouchers need to be spent right away?

Also, any information on where the rules are to be found would be very helpful; I couldn't find answers to these questions on the gov website.

Thanks!

omega27

The vouchers aren't tied to a specific child, so you can use them for either (or more if you are blessed with child 3!).

You can save the vouchers up, depends on the scheme but eg Edenred have a good FAQ which states they don't expire, as long as you stay with your employer:
http://www.childcarevouchers.co.uk/parents/tax-free-childcare-parent-faqs/

Have a read, and ask any more questions if you have them?