Childcare vouchers

Eleven Plus (11+) in Essex

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
wegeners01
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:40 am

Childcare vouchers

Post by wegeners01 »

Dear all,
I have been using childcare vouchers to pay for breakfast and after school child care at my DS's primary school. I was wondering if they can be used for anything at a grammar school or if it is time to withdraw from the scheme and use any remaining money for the rest of this school year? Any input would be very helpful, thanks.
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by ToadMum »

wegeners01 wrote:Dear all,
I have been using childcare vouchers to pay for breakfast and after school child care at my DS's primary school. I was wondering if they can be used for anything at a grammar school or if it is time to withdraw from the scheme and use any remaining money for the rest of this school year? Any input would be very helpful, thanks.
'Breakfast clubs' at secondary school are usually 'just turn up and use the canteen / library'. Organisations providing holiday clubs may be eligible to be paid in vouchers, but it would probably be just as well to stop paying in to the scheme and spend your balance if you can rather than getting a refund, to avoid paying NI etc on your repayment.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
wegeners01
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:40 am

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by wegeners01 »

Thank you, ToadMum. I will do that.
MmeOgg
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:44 pm

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by MmeOgg »

Would you need to use vouchers for holiday clubs?
wegeners01
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:40 am

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by wegeners01 »

DS refuses to go to holiday clubs☺️
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by ToadMum »

MmeOgg wrote:Would you need to use vouchers for holiday clubs?
You wouldn't necessarily need to, of course. Whether you are able to depends on the particular holiday scheme - is it eligible to be paid for with childcare 'vouchers' and even if it might be, does the organisation accept them? If the scheme is essentially a sports club, you probably can't use vouchers; if it's a 'care' facility provided by a local nursery / children's centre, you probably can.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
PurpleDuck
Posts: 1586
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:45 pm

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by PurpleDuck »

wegeners01 wrote:I was wondering if they can be used for anything at a grammar school or if it is time to withdraw from the scheme and use any remaining money for the rest of this school year?
We made a mistake of continuing in the scheme until the end of year 6 and now are left with few hundred pounds locked in the account which we will not be able to use, because DCs are too old/refuse to go to holiday camps and none of their after-school activities are registered with childcare vouchers providers. When I asked them why, they said it was too much admin hassle for them... You won't be able to use them for anything related to your grammar school, unless they have a 3rd party childcare provider on site, which is unlikely.

I don't know whether all childcare vouchers schemes follow exactly the same rules, but with ours, if the account is not used for 2 years (I think) all money still in the account goes to charity. There is no option of withdrawing it and paying back all tax/NI that was originally saved on the amount in question. I would only contribute to the scheme for as long as you are certain you will be able to use everything that you have in your account.
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by ToadMum »

PurpleDuck wrote:
wegeners01 wrote:I was wondering if they can be used for anything at a grammar school or if it is time to withdraw from the scheme and use any remaining money for the rest of this school year?
We made a mistake of continuing in the scheme until the end of year 6 and now are left with few hundred pounds locked in the account which we will not be able to use, because DCs are too old/refuse to go to holiday camps and none of their after-school activities are registered with childcare vouchers providers. When I asked them why, they said it was too much admin hassle for them... You won't be able to use them for anything related to your grammar school, unless they have a 3rd party childcare provider on site, which is unlikely.

I don't know whether all childcare vouchers schemes follow exactly the same rules, but with ours, if the account is not used for 2 years (I think) all money still in the account goes to charity. There is no option of withdrawing it and paying back all tax/NI that was originally saved on the amount in question. I would only contribute to the scheme for as long as you are certain you will be able to use everything that you have in your account.
:shock:

Is that a new rule put in place by HMRC, or something dreamed up by your particular scheme? The one I was with just strongly recommended using all my funds on childcare (which is what I did), just saying that it was a real pain for them to administer refunds; DH was with a different scheme (Sodexo?) and was able to take the hit and just get a refund when we worked out that we were unlikely to need the funds for further childcare.

As for holiday schemes... Not a lot of choice round our way at the time. At pick-up time one evening, we were harangued by a member of staff because DS1 had shouted at another child during the evening meal. When I asked if anything could have provoked his behaviour, she freely admitted that the 'victim' had spat in DS1's food! But it was our child who was in the wrong, as he had reacted :evil:. I just managed to stop myself from suggesting that had someone spat in my dinner, never mind shouting - I would probably have slapped them.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
PurpleDuck
Posts: 1586
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:45 pm

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by PurpleDuck »

ToadMum wrote:
PurpleDuck wrote:
wegeners01 wrote:I was wondering if they can be used for anything at a grammar school or if it is time to withdraw from the scheme and use any remaining money for the rest of this school year?
We made a mistake of continuing in the scheme until the end of year 6 and now are left with few hundred pounds locked in the account which we will not be able to use, because DCs are too old/refuse to go to holiday camps and none of their after-school activities are registered with childcare vouchers providers. When I asked them why, they said it was too much admin hassle for them... You won't be able to use them for anything related to your grammar school, unless they have a 3rd party childcare provider on site, which is unlikely.

I don't know whether all childcare vouchers schemes follow exactly the same rules, but with ours, if the account is not used for 2 years (I think) all money still in the account goes to charity. There is no option of withdrawing it and paying back all tax/NI that was originally saved on the amount in question. I would only contribute to the scheme for as long as you are certain you will be able to use everything that you have in your account.
:shock:

Is that a new rule put in place by HMRC, or something dreamed up by your particular scheme? The one I was with just strongly recommended using all my funds on childcare (which is what I did), just saying that it was a real pain for them to administer refunds; DH was with a different scheme (Sodexo?) and was able to take the hit and just get a refund when we worked out that we were unlikely to need the funds for further childcare.

As for holiday schemes... Not a lot of choice round our way at the time. At pick-up time one evening, we were harangued by a member of staff because DS1 had shouted at another child during the evening meal. When I asked if anything could have provoked his behaviour, she freely admitted that the 'victim' had spat in DS1's food! But it was our child who was in the wrong, as he had reacted :evil:. I just managed to stop myself from suggesting that had someone spat in my dinner, never mind shouting - I would probably have slapped them.
Gosh, ToadMum, you must be a very composed person indeed and so is you DS! I can't believe spoiling someone's dinner is OK, but shouting at the culprit is not, just typical...

Our scheme was Care4; now, that you've mentioned HMRC, I think I'm going to ring them and ask what the rules are.

Edit: No, I don't think a refund would be possible. I've done some googling and it seems to depend on the scheme provider - some allow refunds, some don't. Care-4 has a clause about unused money going to charity included in their T&C.
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
daddytea
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2015 1:28 pm

Re: Childcare vouchers

Post by daddytea »

I also use care4 and after two years no used I also worried. But end up ok by calling them . I supposed you can pay few pounds to your primary to make the account activate again., just a thought. :D
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now