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Childcare vouchers during mat leave

Hi ladies,



Does anyone get these? We get ??243 a month of my salary paid into the scheme. Anyway, a friend yesterday told me that my employers have to continue to pay this into the scheme when I go down to SMP, so basically I would get SMP + this ??243.... This doesn't sound right to me, does anyone know?!!



Xx
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Replies

  • It is right if you pay for your vouchers via salary sacrifice. It shows on your pay slip as part of your salary package and it would be descrimination for them not to pay it to you (it seems to be a bit of a loophole). I get a monthly car allowance and it is treated the same as this - it gets paid throughout your mat leave even when on SMP.

    Hope this helps.

  • So if part of my salary goes to vouchers rather than to me is this salary sacrifice? Hope so...! X
  • I've just returned to work after baby no2 and my vouchers continued to be paid despite my salary going down to SMP. I don't really know the ins and outs as I didn't dare say anything in case it was wrong! image
  • Lol, thank you blondefriend xx
  • ruth77 make sure if you haven't already to suspend your payments between weeks 18 and 22 of your pregnancy as your mat leave is calculated on your salary so it will be less then restart the vouchers after week 22 to get them over mat leave xx
  • Hi moonbeam,



    Hope you dont mind but I have emailed you a question just about what you said about suspending my payments! Wasn't sure how often you come on BE & I'm 18 weeks on Tuesday!



    Thanks so much for the information!



    Ruth xx
  • Interesting! But I don't understand why restart at week 22? I'm sure when my wage was calculated last time they said it was an average of my last 6 weeks of pay...
  • No, moonbean is correct. Basically, your average salary is worked out between those weeks and you need to earn enough in that qualifying period to ensure you are entitled to SMP.



    If you speak with your childcare voucher provider, they will know about this.



    For some people it wont matter, esp if you earn enough and you're only getting SMP but for others whose companies offer additional pay in excess of SMP then you don't want to reduce your salary over than time period when your average pay is worked out.
  • Sorry for being dumb but I am really confused!!

    I get 100% of pay for 1st 20 weeks then smp of 120 a week until 39 weeks. Do I still need to cancel my childcare vouchers between 17 and 22? Also I am paid monthly so how do I do it so I am only cancelling those weeks?? Also wont my work just carry on paying me as they did before maternity upto 20 weeks? Sorry for all the questions but I am only 10 weeks so trying to keep quiet from work and have to cancel my payments at least 4 weeks in advance and dont think this will be possible if we get a late 12 week scan ie 14 weeks. lol

    Too much to think about but I would really like to make the most of this!TIA

    xx
  • wow - you get great maternity pay!

    its all to do with the period they calculate your pay on - which i think is an average of the two months before the relevant week which is week 25. on my childcare scheme, i can go online and make changes to my salary sacrifice, and as long as you get the timing right, i don't think you need to give too much notice. i am too scared to do it though, as i am a higher rate tax payer, and i know if you stop your arrangement and re-start, you no longer get higher rate tax relief and i don't want that to happen.

    hope this helps - someone can probably give you a bit more of a definitive answer than this!

  • Good point about the higher tax rate grey mum but instead of cancelling the vouchers could you not just change the amount to say 10 for those weeks instead of your usual amount? And I forgot about just having to change amounts online. Hmmm think I might just try it! X
  • Hi Ruth!!! I continued to get vouchers during my mat leave last time but as it's salary sacrifice the benefit is the fact that you don't pay tax on that bit of your salary. You don't get paid it on top of your normal salary (if you didn't take the vouchers you'd get the net amount of the ??243 as part of your salary) so when on mat pay you can chose to take ??243 in tax free vouchers still but it comes out of your mat pay not on top of. A car allowance is different as you still get taxed on this and it is to fund a car that you will need once you return from mat leave if that makes sense? X
  • Hi Feebs!



    Fancy seeing you in here! image



    From what I can make out when you go down to SMP only then they pay your contributions for you as well as SMP, but before that the ??243 will come out of the pay you get on top of your SMP...?



    Hope you're feeling well hun!!



    Xx
  • From HMRC website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/sml-salary-sacrifice.pdf



    Paying SMP

    No contractual agreements can exclude, limit or otherwise modify SMP payments due. Therefore any SMP payable must be paid in full and in cash, for up to 39 weeks, regardless of any contrary contractual arrangements. In particular, the SMP payable cannot be further reduced by the terms of a salary sacrifice arrangement



    I have looked into this a lot, as the payroll where I work seem to think they can deduct ??243 from my SMP, but its not correct, so I know Im in for a long battle with them, so am already getting prepared.

    Dxxx
  • Really?? Well that is worth knowing. I'm sure I still was 'charged' fornthem as such even when I went down to SMP but it was hard to calculate as I also got my car allowance and only had about 8 weeks on SMP but over 3 months so each month my pay was different... Will definitely sort it out this time around (assuming I'm still employed by theof course...).



    Btw -so excited to be on here!!! Xxx
  • Thanks Dxxx image



    So exciting to see you on here Feebs!!! You'll have to get a ticker up image xxx
  • Thanks Dxxx So exciting to see you on here Feebs!!! You'll have to get a ticker up xxx



    ticker - up!!!!





    image



    xxx
  • Thanks Jilly - I suspect that wasn;t in place last time I was on mat leave which is why it's news to me!. Excellent news though!
  • Good work, love my tickers! Though its always a mission to figure out how to get it up!! X
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