Childcare Vouchers? How do they work then?

[CarpeJugulum]

We're thinking about DS going to nursery for a mornin per week to allow me to do a bit of work/have some time to myself.

I know that childcare vouchers are a good way to pay, in that they reduce tax etc, and we will be taking them up from DH's work.

But... how do they work in terms of giving them to nurseries? There are obviously a variety of voucher providers, so do you have to tell your nursery which provider it will be? So they have to register to get the cash?

I'm just a bit confused about it all...

For ours, you put in the name of the nursery and then it lets you pay it online. I didn't say anything to nursery about it at all - the system links the name of the child to your name so I presume it tells the nursery who it's for. It's really easy
tbh, a 5-minute job.

Ours is similar, it's like online banking really. Your DH employer will deal with a specific childcare voucher scheme, and the money deducted from his salary will go into an account with that scheme. You get sent login details etc.

Most nurseries accept them, but not all, so worth checking with yours first. Each nursery has a unique reference number that they can give you, then you just set up a monthly or ad hoc online payment to them from your childcare voucher account. Ours asks for a reference name for each payment, so you can put the name of your child and the nursery will know who it's from.

Ours is with a company called Edenred, think its one of the biggest, and it's all been very easy and straightforward so far.

They are an excellent idea. I wish my company offered them. DH's does and we use the whole allowance (£234 at the moment) because DS2 is in there 3.5 days. They are not physical vouchers - everything is done electronically.

Find out the name of the scheme. I think DH's is edenred but there are lots.
Then check with your childcare provider who will tell you if they accept those particular vouchers. Oh have just looked at prev post - what Flamin says.

Have used them so long that I don't really think about it as its automatic - I just deduct the £234 from our nursery bill each month and pay them the surplus.

Sounds ideal for us (assuming we get a place!)

Hopefully we'll hear back from them soon; DH works for a fairly large international company so I'll get him to find out who provides their vouchers.

Thanks all!

I work with a childcare voucher provider. Normally what you would do is find out which voucher provider you are going to use. The one I work for is Childcare Voucher Solutions.

Firstly you will need to ask the employer who you will be obtaining them from which provider they are with.

Then you should contact your nursery/school/after school club to see if they accept not only the vouchers, but the vouchers from that particular provider.

If they do not, all is not lost, often it is free for them to register with that provider, and often it's a simple online automated process. Furthermore there are benefits to them joining. Definitely ask your nursery to join if they haven't already.