Reducing childcare vouchers for qualifying weeks, then put them back up?

[bunique]

Hope this is the right place to ask this! Not sure I've got this right in my head.

I claim the full £243 for my daughter. I'm due in January with number 2 (so currently 14 weeks).

If I reduce my voucher amount to a nominal £1 (so don't cancel the scheme altogether) from now until 25 weeks, and then return it back to the full £243, will this have the effect I'm aiming for - ie. maximise mat pay but then still be paid the £243 once I go down to SMP?

I suspect my July pay will be taken into account when calculating maternity pay, and I've missed the cut off to reduce vouchers for this month, but was planning to do it for August and September, and then put it back up in October.

I was just about to do it, but then it occurred to me that my employer might only pay the voucher amount that I'd been paying during my qualifying weeks?! This is hurting my head...

[ForTheLoveOfSocks]

It really winds me up when Payroll staff get simple things completely wrong.

A useful comeback would be comparing the use of a company car to ccv. You cannot remove a company car from an employee on SMP or indeed after the 39th week. They are both a benefit, albeit a little different.

You need to stress that it is not a deduction from pay, but a salary sacrifice. Therefore if they continue you will be forced to seek legal advice as they will be treating you less favourably than other employees.

I'm so angry on your behalf! I hate it when companies try this sort of crap! Because lots of people take what they say as gospel.

[bunique]

I will let you know how I get on! I work for a local authority so can't imagine I'm the first person to raise the query, and the advice from HMRC looks pretty clear cut to me.

[TurquoiseDress]

Apologies for resurrecting this thread but there are some questions that have been answered for me but others I still need to work out.

Currently I pay the max childcare vouchers per month £243 and am 22 weeks pregnant. I have totally missed the cut off to reduce my CCV payments for my qualifying weeks- my fault entirely- but now I'm wondering if it's such a bad thing.

My question is- if I reduce my CCVs to the minimum of £10 (I think) starting from the end of next month, during my mat leave, will I still receive £243 as this is what I was paying during the qualifying weeks?

Apologies if I am being stupid and this is v straightforward.
My CCV provider is not giving me straightforward answers- also saying that I should receive CCV during the paid/unpaid parts of mat leave but this subject to some new changes coming up.

My LO starts school in September so will lose the nursery fees from this summer (hooray).

If anyone can shed more light on this that would be amazing.
Thanks in advance

[flowery]

This is an old thread TurquoiseDress and the advice on this subject has changed.
In answer to your questions;

”if I reduce my CCVs to the minimum of £10 (I think) starting from the end of next month, during my mat leave, will I still receive £243 as this is what I was paying during the qualifying weeks?”

If you reduce your vouchers then they’ll stay reduced unless and until you put them up again.

”My CCV provider is not giving me straightforward answers- also saying that I should receive CCV during the paid/unpaid parts of mat leave but this subject to some new changes coming up.”

This is because there has been case law since this thread has started and employers are now advised that they do not have to continue providing vouchers during maternity leave as they used to. You will need to check whether your employer is providing them or not.

[TurquoiseDress]

@flowery
Thank you for clarifying those points & bringing me up to speed!

I've forgotten how much of a mystery maternity leave/pay was the first time round. Not proving any easier this time around!