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Childcare vouchers question

7 replies

MammaPyjama · 10/03/2020 13:32

I'm currently waiting for a response from my workplace voucher provider, but I'm impatient and someone on here probably knows the answer to this.

We have a 3 year old in nursery three days a week. We use childcare vouchers (not the tax free scheme - the other one). We also have an 8 month old who will be starting nursery, also three days, in a few months. Can I get vouchers for a second child? Is the £243 maximum I can get a maximum for me, or is it per child? The three year old has been getting the "30 free hours" since January, so the bill for her has come down massively - the amount left to pay is almost covered by DH's £125 (can't recall the exact amount, but that's roughly it - he's a higher rate tax payer, so gets less in vouchers than I can). I don't know whether we can each get the same amount for DD2, whether what we can only get vouchers up to that maximum amount regardless of how many children we have in childcare, or what. I know that the vouchers scheme is no longer open to new applicants, but I don't know whether that means parents who aren't currently using it cannot begin using it, or whether parents who are already using it cannot use it for subsequent child who isn't already receiving vouchers.

I'm sleep deprived and I can't even quite keep track of the questions I need to ask right now! Anyone have any idea? TIA

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Bol87 · 10/03/2020 13:44

Oh I’m so glad you asked this question - been googling the same thing all week & not finding a definitive answers as to using the scheme for a second child!

Hopefully someone will know!

MammaPyjama · 10/03/2020 13:47

Bol87 I know! There's reams of information, but nothing about having a second kid - can't be that unusual a situation, surely?!

OP posts:
BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 10/03/2020 13:51

The voucher scheme is max £243 per parent (basic rate taxpayer rate) irrespective of the number of children you have. TFC is done per child, but you can't be in both the voucher scheme and TFC. You'd have to leave the voucher scheme if you wanted to join TFC.

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PlugUgly1980 · 10/03/2020 13:52

£243 is max per eligible parent, regardless of number of children I'm afraid.

waterbottle12 · 10/03/2020 13:52

Per parent not per child. You can both get them.

MammaPyjama · 10/03/2020 16:34

Hmm. Sounds like I might be better off joining the tax free scheme then. Possibly. Oh joy! Life admin!

OP posts:
bluebunnyblue · 10/03/2020 17:15

There are online calculators that help work out which scheme is best. If you don't spend above a certain threshold then childcare vouchers will be better than tax free childcare (as you can save a fixed amount of money with the vouchers, whereas tax free childcare saves you a percentage of your spend). And, as other have said, the childcare vouchers amount is per parent, so you can't get more for more children. It's £243 for basic rate taxpayers and £124 for higher rate taxpayers. Also note, you both have to be earning under £100k to be eligible for tax free childcare, whereas there is no earnings limit for childcare vouchers. This is a good explanation: www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-vouchers/

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