Power to your Signatures: Parliamentary Debate on the future of Childcare Vouchers

The Childcare Voucher scheme is currently due to close to new entrants from April 2018.

We have been lobbying Government for Childcare Vouchers to be kept open to new entrants so that new parents, or those who change jobs or whose circumstances change, can have the option of benefitting from the scheme. This is critical, as 66 per cent of callers to our Family Benefits Advice Service are better off on Childcare Vouchers or Tax Credits than Tax-Free Childcare.

A Petition calling on the Government to keep Childcare Vouchers open to new entrants has received over 116,000 signatures from across the UK. Employers For Childcare thanks everyone for their support in signing and sharing the Petition.

As a result of this Petition, a Parliamentary Debate is scheduled to discuss the future of Childcare Vouchers. The Debate will happen this Monday, (15 January 2018, 4:30pm), and it will provide an opportunity for MPs to put concerns to Government. If you are interested in hearing what is discussed, we encourage you to follow us on Twitter as we will be live tweeting updates from the Parliamentary Debate as it progresses.

In the meantime, working parents who wish to join the Childcare Voucher scheme need to do so as soon as possible. Parents can do this by making a salary sacrifice from their pay prior to the closure date – no later than March 2018. If you have any friends, family or colleagues who might benefit, including new parents or those on maternity or shared parental leave, make sure they know now.

Remember that if you have any questions about what your family may be entitled to, you can call our Family Benefits Advice Service on 028 9267 8200 or email hello@employersforchildcare.org for free, impartial and confidential advice. Working parents who received a personal benefits check from us in 2016/17 gained an average of £4,130.