Please help: childcare vouchers, tax free childcare, 30 hours

[MRex]

I've been paying into childcare vouchers, DH hasn't so can only do tax free childcare payments. We will want to apply for the 30 hours; both over minimum wage and under £100k.
I've been struggling to understand what we can do; it says only one tax free childcare application, but I have the vouchers and I don't really understand how it links to 30 hours because I thought the extended 15 hours was separate to money we're saving in the schemes.

Can anyone who's looked through all this give me some pointers please? Thanks

The 30 free hours is separate from the tax-free scheme and the vouchers.
When your child becomes eligible for the 30 free hours you apply via the gov.uk website and it will give you a code which you pass on to your childcare provider. You need to make sure you do this before the start of the term you want to use your 30 free hours.
You can then use your tax-free savings or vouchers to pay for any additional childcare over and above the 30 free hours.
Hope this makes sense.

Thank you the tax free vouchers page looked like it said something different so that's a relief. Can we use childcare vouchers and tax free childcare? I put the maximum into childcare vouchers and the tax-free childcare page seems to suggest only one parent can contribute?

You can't do childcare vouchers and tax free childcare. You do a single TFC application as a couple, and you will have to leave the childcare voucher scheme to do this.

I don't see why not. Vouchers are paid direct to your childcare provider via your employer. The tax-free scheme is all done on the gov.uk website. It's not very user friendly, but you basically just transfer money into it. The government then adds 20%. Then you search for your childcare provider and set up either a one-off or regular payment.

Ah yes. PP is correct. Sorry for the confusion!

Money-saving Expert has a fairly comprehensive explanation of TFC here

Thanks, I've completed the forms here www.tax.service.gov.uk/childcare-calc - and it looks like we are better off using tax free childcare, BUT I already have childcare vouchers. I can't find out if I can use both in the same tax year but not concurrently, I.e. Pay a big chunk up-front and then a proportion of tax free childcare for the rest of the year. Anyone know? Thanks

When changing to Tax Free Childcare (TFC) from Employer Supported Childcare (ESC), commonly referred to as childcare vouchers, there is a period of time in which you can use both schemes to pay your childcare provider. I think that period is limited to the first two or three months. You should therefore ensure that you use up ESC as much as you can before starting TFC. You will also need to have confirmation that ESC has been stopped by your employer, as TFC will ask for that confirmation at first reconfirmation point following joining TFC.
Don't worry, easier than it sounds. Just make sure you use up childcare vouchers and tell your employer you are leaving the voucher scheme (check first with your employer with regard to when you can leave the scheme as they may only allow that at a certain time).

Some things to keep in mind.
TFC can be used until the September before your child's 12th Birthday - not good for summer born children.
ESC can be used until your child is 16 or 19 if your child has a disability.
TFC is worth up to £2000 per eligible child, per year - depends on your childcare cost as well as number of children. ESC is usually worth a little under £1000 per year, per eligible parent.
Check with your childcare provider(s) that they accept TFC and the timescales at which they need you to process payment. If you are paid at end of the month and provider wants payment at end of month for the following month, then TFC may not process in time, as it can take a few days for money to go in, get the topup and be paid out to the provider. Once you get used to the system then you will get this timing down to a fine art... tip: do not do things on the system after 3pm on a Friday or during the weekend. Payments to providers are now faster than they were when the system was initially launched but it can take time to process payments in.

Thanks, I'll digest all that tomorrow!