Childcare vouchers/ credits or whatever??

[sweatybits]

Starting work full time and thanks to a wonderful mother inlaw I don't need regular childcare, but I might have to make use of a playscheme while she is on holiday. I think they accept vouchers, but I don't know anything about them, even who issues them or how to claim them.

Any info welcome TIA

Ok tracked down some info on the Gov website, so I have to average the cost of holiday childcare over the year.

What percentage do you get of the cost of care?

How do you prove how many hours of childcare you pay for? Do you have to get a form or letter from the caregiver?

Or does it go on how many hours you work??

childcare vouchers and child tax credits are 2 different things

the vouchers are not means tested, everyone is entitled to them (is a salary sacrifice thing whereby the money is skimmed off your salary pre tax thus saving you a chunk and higher rate tax payers even more) - you need to check with your employers if they offer them

dont' know anything about child tax credits

your employer needs to run the voucher scheme. they take money (up to £243 a month, amount decided by you) from your gross pay for vouchers (therefore you dont pay tax or NI on the money).

You then give the vouchers (paper or electronic) to your caregiver to pay for your care.

if your employer runs the scheme they should have the details for you.

you dont need to prove the hours, as long as its a registered care giver (they need a certificate) and accept vouchers.

Ah yes searching while I posted this. Sussed out now that chilcare vouchers are from employers, don't know if mine do them. So looking at tax credit childcare credits then.

I think you are confusing 2 different things. Childcare vouchers come from your employer under a salary sacrifice. Basically you agree for a certain amount (max £243 pm) to be deducted from your pay and paid directly to the voucher company. You don't pay tax or NI on that money.

The childcare element of tax credits is what you average over the year. You have to get their reg number to put on your application... IIRC they fill in that part of the form. You get up to 80% of the cost up to a maximum but it depends how much you earn.

Try entitledto.com

WTC5 (PDF) and WTC2 (PDF) are worth a read.

Childcare Vouchers for you I wouldn't expect is a viable option, as on schemes you often have to agree to a 12-month minimum period.

Childcare Element of Working Tax Credit will depend on your personal circumstances. First thing to do is to find out if you are entitled to Childcare Element of WTC.

Right so childcare vouchers are not what I am talking about. Its the tax credit, childcare element.

I really don't know how much I will need to use the playscheme as Gran will have them most of the time, so pretty hard to work out a weekly average, TBH I really don't think it will be worth trying to claim for it. I don't want to say it will cost me X amount then it doesn't and I have to change my claim umpteen times or don't claim it and they check up and find I owe them money if I don't use it as much as I thought I would.

I meant don't change it and they check up on me, doh!

Child Tax credits are given to all babies 0-12m upto £26 a week irresppective of your personal circumstances follwed by £10 a week when the child turns one. You need to call the tax credits people to avail.

We currently use a childcare vouchers scheme. Am I right to think that we can't also have Working tax Credits?