Childcare Vouchers Through Care-4

wkd98

Looking for some advice - I purchased childcare vouchers (old style) via my employer through a company called "Care-4" . At the time, it seemed like a great option but with the covid lockdowns and then the secondary school my child was allocated not taking the vouchers, I've been left with a surplus (£600+). I last paid into the scheme in June 2022 (stopped as soon as we were told that the secondary school wouldn't take them) and last paid a childcare provider in April 2022. Care-4 (who, incidentally shut down their Helpline in October 2025 - which shows how few people are using the vouchers now) have sent an email saying that if I don't use the vouchers, they will be donated to charity - they cannot be refunded. This seems completely unfair as when I agreed to those terms back in 2011, it was the only option for salary sacrifice for childcare - and as a result of the changes in 2018, fewer and fewer childcare providers are accepting the vouchers as payment greatly restricting the options for using them. Does anyone have any advice on whether there is any chance of getting these vouchers refunded? And if there is, how would I go about it?

sheramber

what does your contract say.

Some schemes refunded , others didn’t.

Some refunded if your employer agreed, as the refund needed to be done through payroll to recover tax and NI that was not deducted.

Not all employers used a payroll that could do this.