SMP and Childcare CCV

[clareld]

Please could someone help. I am due to go on maternity leave in 4 weeks time and also have a 2 year old. I will only receive SMP. I am slightly confused, about what to do with my childcare vouchers. I didn't cancel them for the qualifiying time so my SMP has been affected.

I am trying to work out if my company should continue paying the vouchers as I read it they can not make duductions from my SMP.

I would would really greatful if some one could help.

I have asked my payroll dept, but they have not been able to answer my question yet as they are in the process of running the year end. So do not have time currently to answer it.

Clareld - I'm going on mat leave in about 10 weeks time and I haven't looked into this yet. How has your SMP been affected, out of interest?

You should still get the vouchers, because benefits should continue during maternity leave. They cannot deduct them from SMP (although they could from contractual maternity pay).

Sheep - SMP will be affected because vouchers are done on a salary sacrifice, so the OPs salary during the calculation period for SMP will have been lower than if she hadn't taken vouchers.

Thank you Ribena Berry, I have read some articles on this and seems companies are not very keen to publise this will cost them. I spoke to the childcare voucher provider and they just told me to stop them. Don't understand why they would not want to publise this.

Well, because the voucher scheme was publicised to companies as not costing them anything - because it was salary sacrifice. Many bought into it because they were told that they could do this nice thing for their staff without having to budget for it.

Then they found that, in some cases, they could be footing the bill for 12 months of vouchers without any hope of recovering the money.

It's good for employees, but employers are understandably mighty annoyed in many cases.