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Childcare vouchers help
I applied for these a couple of months ago when I was still on full pay, and my agreement etc shows up on the CV site. But I've never had any confirmation from my employers and they haven't started paying them. I'm now on SMP.
Am I right in thinking that they should have started paying them, and then continued to do so? They started straightaway when my husband asked for them (same employer). Is it HR or payroll I need to contact?
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Yep, they should continue to pay whilst you are on SMP. I'd call HR.
I work for nhs and was told that I could apply for them before mat leave but that they wouldn't pay out whereas if I'd have applied earlier they would have continued to pay them iyswim. I'd been led to believe that they would have paid these on top of my mat pay iyswim but because it hadnt been set up then they would still pay them but it would come out my mat pay if that makes sense
This is where I'm confused. At the time I set them up I was on mat leave but still getting full pay for a couple of months (we get full pay for 4 months then it drops to just SMP). But they didn't start paying them then, so have they just held on to it so they don't have to pay me now? Or was I never entitled because I only applied for them once I was on mat leave?
Oh I read your op wrong. Yes, CP is right. You would have to have been in the scheme before going on mat leave.
I don't think you were ever entitled to them. This is what happened to me because I was told by someone on hitched if I applied then I would get them throughout mat leave which would have saved a blooming fortune in childcare, so I applied but they said that because I hadnt been in the scheme for x amount if months they wouldn't cover my mat leave but I could still salary sacrifice but it would be out if my wage iyswim rather than them covering it. It did sound too good to be true though
, so I didn't join then I joined when I went back to work but when we have another then itl work out then iyswim
Hi, lurking on this post as its something I know nothing about. As someone who isn't yet pregnant can someone advise when the ideal time to apply for these would be? (work for NHS)
Thanks! RL x
I don't think you can claim them before you have a child, or parental responsibility for a child, so wouldn't be able to claim them before you start mat leave (may leave must start the day your child is born, or your EDD, whichever is later.
Your H will be able to claim them from when baby is born though.
Both H and I claim the vouchers now (already have a child) and will be able to continue to do so during my next mat leave and accumulate them to use at a later date.
thanks BG
I should add that according to the childcare vouchers website, whether you can continue to claim vouchers on may leave depends on the terms and conditions of your employment contract.
Waaah I knew it was too good to be true! Damn! Thanks for the help ladies.
RL at our work you can claim them as soon as you tell them you're pregnant, I soooo wish I'd done that and taken the salary hit then so I could have them now! At least my H is getting them now so that's something.
RL, I'm nhs. You can salary sacrifice up to £243 a month which I do and it saves us £55 a month as you don't pay tax on that. You get them either in paper vouchers or as a bank transfer to a registered childcare provider.
Bear in mind though it will affect your pension contribution as your salary is effectively £243 a month less iyswim.