child care vouchers - pension issues?

[daisymo]

I've just gone back to work and was considering getting child care vouchers through the salary sacrifice scheme. The woman at the nursery said other people have found they aren't such a good idea as they affect your pension. I'm a teacher so thought my pension will be based on my final salary anyway?? Can someone clear this up for me? Please!

I spread term time out over the holidays. If you decide to go for it, it is easier deling with a set amount every month, rather than just term time. You have to calculate the yearly cost and divide it by 12 to enable monthly payments from voucher provider anyway.

HR seem pretty clued up about it, phone them

See below . You have to spread it out over 12 months

See below . You have to spread it out over 12 months

Thanks!

Oops, another question - if you're not already sick of me!! Once you opt into the scheme am I right in thinking you have to stay in it for the rest of that tax year? (now thinking about how it might affect future mat leave pay)

You can opt out in the middle of a tax year due to a life change - maternity leave counts as a life change. And for SMP purposes, I think you have until x number of weeks which works out as about week 15.

Also, the effect on SMP if you're paid over a certain amount would as far as I understand not be so much - if you get your scheme maternity pay and your weekly wage is still more than £112.75 a week I would think you would be ok on smp. But what I know I want to check is how my pay is calculated for my employer's maternity pay (which is rather more than SMP anyway).