Unused childcare vouchers due to lockdown

[TotoroXX]

What do you do with the unused childcare vouchers?

Since March lockdown last year, I have not been using any of the childcare vouchers (not required as working from home) so accrued few hundreds of pounds in the account. My DD is now in Y6 and with the ongoing lockdown it is unlikely that we will ever spend all before she goes to secondary school.

I am contacting my HR to check if I can refund and the initial answer is no (expected) but I asked if there is anything they can do due to this exception circumstances and of course will pay the required tax.

Do secondary school trips generally accept CCV?

Many camps during term and half-term breaks accept vouchers so you'll find use for them!

I didn't think you can use them for school trips. You can spend them until they are 16 (roughly speaking... my voucher provider had precise rules about when they expire). Mine went on various camps until 13 or 14yo. Even then I had £500 left, and eventually employer refunded it with the payment of tax due to the exceptional circumstances. Good luck.

What type of camps are available for secondary children? My DD went to holiday clubs/ camps before lockdown and she was among young kids and I doubt she will enjoy much now that she is older.

I did use CCV to pay for DD's PGL trip at the beginning of Y5 but it was postponed twice due to Covid-19 and the planned date is June this year. I suspect it might not go ahead so will likely be refunded. I hope it won't go back as CCV being the original payment method.

One of mine carried on going to a football camp through years 7 and 8, the other went to an occasional drama one till about the same age. Not all organisations take them though, I was lucky that my employer allowed me to vary the amounts I took each month so I only took what I knew I would use, Covid puts a whole other slant on things.

Tech Camp residentials or day camps mostly. Www.Techcamp.org.uk

Camp Beaumont occasionally. A couple of hockey camps, music camps.

You can use them for drama lessons (Stagecoach), PGL holidays and some holiday clubs. Some tutors take them, too (e.g. Kip McGrath).

I don't think i can use mine, got about 300 quid sitting in vouchers.
I think I will gift it as a raffle prize at our next primary school raffle. Happy to use it on someone elses kid, since I can't get the money back.

@sonsmum you can’t do that - the tax benefit was for you individually as a parent. They can only be used for your own child. Nice thought though!

Keep pushing with your work, there aren't any restrictions stopping a refund, I think this is an employer decision due to the admin involved.

You will have to pay the tax and ni that you saved so the refund has to be requested though your employer and payment made though payroll. I have a few friends who have had a refund processed due to the current circumstances.

Also to note, if you are stopping your childcare vouchers you will only be able to start again within 12 months of stopping them.

Check whether any of your extra curricular sports clubs take them. I was shocked to find i could use them for dd1's tennis lessons because I didn't consider them childcare.