Maternity Allowance and childcare vouchers

[milpool]

Hoping someone can shed some light on this as I can't find anything specific to my situation.

Started a new job end of June, baby is due end Jan. I won't qualify for SMP due to length of service in new role so will need to claim Maternity Allowance instead. I already receive childcare vouchers for my daughter.

Where do I stand with the vouchers once I go onto maternity leave? I understand that it was the case with SMP that the employer should still fund them, until that tribunal earlier in the year suggested otherwise.

I know it's a luxury to still send my daughter to childcare while I'm on mat leave but I was hoping to still do so to keep her routine steady and allow me some time just with the new baby. But, if my childcare vouchers are stopped then I won't be able to afford to. I can't seem to get a straight answer from work but obviously I'd rather know asap so I can plan for it.

I'm surprised your work haven't told you whether they'll fund them or not, that seems odd. Perhaps they haven't decided what their position is yet after the recent case law changed things.

If the vouchers are given as part of a salary sacrifice scheme then based on that recent case, your employers could decide not to continue to provide them during maternity leave. Whether you are on SMP or maternity allowance makes no difference.

But in order to plan you need to know for definite, and it's only your employer who can tell you that.

Thanks flowery. I'm being passed from pillar to post a bit, nobody seems to know who should be giving me the answers! It's a fairly large employer with a generous maternity package, but I just don't meet the length of service eligibility criteria for it. I can't imagine I'm the first person to be in this situation though.

It's good to know that SMP or MA makes no difference though. Hopefully I'll get a straight answer soon.

Hi milpool...I work for a big company and currently half way through maternity leave. My employer stopped the vouchers as soon as the appeal tribunal ruled on the employers side (5 months into leave). I think most employers are doing the same...very harsh but understandable. Did you get an answer yet?

No not yet. The person who was dealing with my query is on annual leave until Wednesday so hopefully I might get a response then.