Can I use childcare vouchers for younger siblings?

[GoFigure235]

We're still in the old childcare vouchers scheme (well, DH is) and we've built up a bit of a stockpile. We registered for the 7yo but have since had another child. Our DC2's nursery doesn't accept them but we've been using them for holiday clubs for the older one.

Can we use the vouchers we've accrued to book childcare for both kids over the holiday (nursery is term time only) or can we only use them for the older child who squeaked in before the scheme closed?

Yes, you can continue to use them if you signed up before the deadline.

Once you've used up your stockpile, you might want to see whether Taxfree Childcare is a better deal for you, though.

No only the child they are issued for, they have the child's name on.

Mine certainly don't. They're not physical vouchers, it's money in an online provider's account I can use to pay for registered childcare. I've never specified which child the salary deduction relates to either, so how would they know?

Sorry, this was supposed to be in response to @BusyCM .

There's no restriction on which child you use them for, they're just a tax-free method of paying for childcare. The provider only has to be registered with the voucher company for you to be able to use them as payment.

On my remittance email I receive.(I'm a childminder) when the parent sends the money, the voucher has the child's name on it.

@BusyCM when you make the payment you choose the child from a drop down of options but I assume that's just so the cm knows who it's paying. Like you out a reference on a bank payment. Had two children and used the vouchers for whichever.

Exactly. It's a reference for the provider. Mine doesn't have a drop down. I simply write whatever reference, previously DS1, then DS1 &DS2 when it was summer clubs for both of them, now just DS2. I could actually write anything on it e.g. 'the cheeky little blond one' and as long as the provider knew who it was for, it would do the trick.

Well you also can't claim vouchers and tax free childcare for the same child so its probably a fraud measure too.

You usually have an online account and can use for any of your qualifying children. I kept mine as it worked out better than the tax free childcare and I've used them interchangeably to pay for childcare and qualifying clubs with no issues. I'd just contact the provider you have and check how you register your other child

We're not entitled to tax-free childcare.

To clarify, we don't qualify for tax-free childcare so have never used it. Only childcare vouchers. We registered DC1 for childcare vouchers before the scheme closed. DC2 was born after the scheme closed so obviously not registered. We'd like to use some of the childcare vouchers for holiday childcare either for DC2 or for both of them, not just for DC1.

Yes just call the voucher company and ask to add your other child. If your vouchers are set up as an online account with the funds saved up then you can just pay for either child when you make outgoing payments. If you have it set up to automatically pay out then you'll have to ask the provider to change the name on the voucher payment reference.

You can use them exactly as you plan to. They aren't linked to a particular child - just your children

This was the same for me child born after it closed but still able to carry on with it. I think it worked out better for me to stay on vouchers but I just found it easier.

I used to make one payment for 3 kids and always chose eldest name on the drop down. The invoice had all 3 names but I didn't see the point making 3 separate transactions to pay.

With the tax free childcare scheme I have to pay per child.

Yes they can be used for any child in any registered setting.