Childcare vouchers - I'm confused....

[DribblersMum]

I'm sure i'm being thick but can someone just briefly explain the childcare voucher scheme. I'm going back to work next year (i'll be a teacher) and my husband works for the government up in whitehall - he's only a low grade.

Do we need to earn a certain amount or do we automatically qualify for X amount of vouchers? I'll be an NQT, so on about £21500, and Dh is on about the same.

Any help on this would be great as I'm trying to figure out our budget :)

Childcare vouchers are a salary sacrifice scheme which means you get the money to pay towards childcare before you pay any tax on the earnings. There are various companies but they all are the same. This is one with info
www.childcarevouchers.co.uk/Pages/Default.aspx you have to use ofsted registered childcare and you transfer the money out of your account into theirs. If you google other companies come up.

I think the maximum you can have is £248 each per month but could be wrong on that.

Are they Actually offered by your employers? Also you need to use a form of childcare that accepts them

I'd assume that they would be offered by my employer, and DH's as we both would be government workers....

Ok so assume it's part of their package - details here on what savings you make as there is a limit on the tax break you get if you join post 6 April 2011 [http://www.childcarevouchers.co.uk/Employers/HowItWorks/Pages/OverviewoftheApril2011TaxChanges.aspx limits]