New tax free childcare scheme

[stickystick]

Did anyone else notice on Budget day that the government sneakily slipped in the fact that the new tax free childcare scheme, which was due to be launched this Autumn, has been pushed back to Spring 2017?!

In case you didn't already know about it, the idea was that for every four pounds you paid into a childcare account, the government would add another one. Even if you were self employed. For a lot of people (like me) this would be a godsend and I was counting down the days until it happened.

This was one of the reasons I voted as I did and I am MEGA unimpressed that they've reneged on this commitment.

I didn't notice that, how annoying, we were hoping to use that. Does this mean we can still sign up for childcare vouchers?

I was wondering what happened to that - was meant to start in Sept & would be great for employees whose employers don't do vouchers. Thought I hadn't heard anything - Spring 2017! That's crap!

I know! It was sneaked into something called the Red Book which is the full publication of all the policies in the Budget, without actually being mentioned in the Budget speech.

Yes noarmani, it does mean you can still sign up for vouchers - IF you have an employer and it offers them.

My child will be almost starting school when the new scheme finally happens, so it will be almost useless then.

AFAIK it's been delayed because of a legal challenge (no work could be done to put arrangements in place while the challenge was underway), rather than government incompetence (although there's plenty of that going around too)
www.gov.uk/government/news/government-confirms-tax-free-childcare-launch-date-as-it-welcomes-judgment-from-supreme-court