Can someone please explain to me how in holy hell Tax-Free Childcare works?

[ElphabaTheGreen]

The Childcare Calculator on the hopelessly shite website says I'm better off with Tax-Free Childcare rather than on the Childcare Vouchers we have been using. I'm eligible. I'm set up. I have Tax-Free Childcare account details for both of my DSs (one's in FT nursery but will get 30 free hours from next month, one goes to before and after school club five days a week).

I'm starting with DS2 because DS1's school club provider hasn't signed up yet, but has said they will be by start of term.

From 4 September, DS2's nursery fees will be £366 per month. So how much do I set up the standing order to the tax-free childcare account for?? The full £366, or 80% of this (£292.80) and trust that the remaining 20% will get paid?

I'm starting to sniff a deliberately convoluted Tory plot, designed to make them look benevolent but to stop people from taking it up. I don't know whether to go through the battle as a 🖕🏻to Theresa and co, or just give up and stick with the vouchers...

When you pay money in to the child's account, 20% gets added to that payment. It is then available to transfer out to the provider (who you have to find on the system - that is currently proving a bit problematic for some). The payment once you send it from the child's account to the provider takes 3 days to arrive with the provider.

I've found it really easy. Make a card payment via the website once you've registered and the government's portion is added almost immediately. Then pick your provider from the list and arrange a one off payment or a recurring payment for the total amount due to your provider. Logging back into the website is proving more confusing however

When you pay money in to the child's account, 20% gets added to that payment.

Have I done the maths right, then? Will they top up £292.80 to £366 (the former number being 80% of the latter, before you get your calculators out.)

Scrap that previous question. I've done a card payment in and it's topped it up to £366. But how do I make it do monthly payments to the nursery? It's not giving me that option anywhere. I've set up a monthly direct debit from my account to the TFC account. Will it just automatically siphon the money off to nursery?

Like, every month I mean once the standing order's gone in? (Not direct debit, sorry?)

It's not automatic, you have to set it up with how much you want to pay and what date. I can't remember exactly but it's around the same page that has payment bit you've already done.

Aha. Just logged onto the site on an actual computer rather than a mobile and it all became clearer. Monthly payments all set up (I hope).

Thank you!