Tax free childcare eligibility

[Valkarie]

I am currently on maternity leave. I will be going back to work around March next year. Currently dp uses his work childcare vouchers scheme for ds1 pre-school. However we will also need nursery for ds2.

Can I register for the new tax free childcare scheme when dp is in the old one? I am finding the website confusing as it says you can't have both but doesn't specify if that is per working adult or per family.

Childcare vouchers are per parent, tax free childcare is per child. So the vouchers will give you a set amount. The tax free childcare helps with 20% of the cost per child. So you can't have both. I was in the same boat and it worked out better to go tax free child care.

You cannot have both, so look at which is better given your circumstances. There can be a small overlap but once TFC starts your husband needs to leave the voucher scheme.
You can apply for TFC up to 30 days before you return to work.

Ok, so we need to do the sums as to whether we are better off moving to the new scheme for both of them then. Thank you

You can’t have both and I am better off on the new scheme. So I transferred. However you might want to do it after maternity leave, if you are getting vouchers too from work. You get free vouchers if you are on statutory maternity pay as they can’t deduct from that. But if you have enhanced pay then they can. As others say, you need to do your sums.