Childcare vouchers - can both parents apply if nursery fee less than £486 ?

[Oblomov]

Our sons nursery fees are less than £486
I already get the full voucher of £243 from my work.
Dh's work has now said they will start the vouchers. What do I do ? We want to claim the full £243 EACH to get the tax benefit.
Sorry for being dim, I don't know what to do next ?

I think you will only want to claim up to the amount of the nursery fees. You can only spend them on registered childcare so it will be wasted money.
Unless you think childcare will get more expensive soon so you can 'save' the money in advance

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We are getting them although they DS's nursery bills are lower than the voucher amount. DS will be soon moving from nursery but they cover afterschool fees for reception and part of Year 1. (Or even part of them if you have to pay fees). But they have an expiry date so keep an eye on it.

Both can get the vouchers. You can go for a lesser amount of vouchers and still get the tax benefit - you just get the tax benefit in proportion. Defintley make sur ethat if one of you pays tax at a higher rate then that is taken into account.

you can also bank the vouchers and use them in later years for childcare.

What is the definition of "childcare" for these , as a matter of interest ?

Can you each only claim 243 or can one of you claim 486?

Thanks.
I want to cliam the full £243 each , so that we get the most tax benefit available to us.
I don't want to claim a lesser amount, just because ds's fees are lower now.

So, I can carry them forward to pay for afterschool fees, once he starts school at age 5, and use them to pay, if I can not pick him up at ...3.30 or whatever time, and need to put him in an after school club .
Is that right ?

Seems a shame to waste our tax benefit that we are entitled to ?

Well in theory - our afterschool club doesn't accept them, so you will have to find one that does.