Childcare Vouchers and Maternity leave

[lentillou]

Hi

I work for the NHS and I am due to go on Maternity leave in May/June for 12 months. I would like to start receiving childcare vouchers for for DS1 from April and I heard that once you go down to SMP/unpaid bit of Maternity leave that childcare vouchers cannot be deducted as it would take you below minimum wage.So you are sort of getting them for free. Does anyone know if this is correct or have any experience of this?

This shoud explain it:

www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/sml-salary-sacrifice.pdf

It is correct you effectivly get them for free.

Thanks for your replies: do you know if I need to have been using them during my qualifying weeks e.g 17-25 weeks or is it OK as long as I take them out before I start Maternity leave?

Lentillou - I should add that I work for a large organisation (HSBC) and they currently do not pay the vouchers even though I'm on SMP. I'm furious (especially as I checked this before I went on ML) but they have auditors in at the moment checking their legal standing. I can only presume people are kicking up a fuss and HSBC are trying to fight it