Rally your MP to Vote to Keep Childcare Vouchers Open – Parliamentary Vote will take place today

*updated Tuesday 13 March 2018

A critical Parliamentary Vote deciding the future of Childcare Vouchers is taking place in the House of Commons today, Tuesday 13 March. Whether you are currently benefitting from Childcare Vouchers, or hoping to use them in the future, now is the time to take action to make sure your voice is heard. We need to ensure every MP attends and votes to keep Childcare Vouchers open!

Background

Employers For Childcare has been lobbying Government for Childcare Vouchers to be kept open to new entrants beyond April 2018, alongside Tax-Free Childcare, 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. Thousands of parents will lose out if the Childcare Voucher scheme closes to new entrants. Even Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis agrees – watch him talking about the issue on ITV’s This Morning.

Thanks to parents, employers and childcare providers across the UK supporting our lobbying campaign a Petition to keep Childcare Vouchers open beyond 2018 received almost 120,000 signatures. Thousands of you also wrote to your MP, asking them to support this important cause. These actions resulted in a Parliamentary Debate on the matter and an Early Day Motion calling on Childcare Vouchers to be kept open, with 121 MPs signing in support.

The Parliamentary Vote taking place on Tuesday is a momentous milestone on our lobbying journey – MPs will vote either for or against keeping Childcare Vouchers open so that you, as a parent, employer, or childcare provider will continue to benefit from them.

Rally your MP to Keep Childcare Vouchers Open

Lobby MPs to ensure they are in Westminster for this critical Vote by following these simple steps:

• Click on theyworkforyou.com and enter your post code to find your local MP.
• Click on your MP’s name to see their voting record.
• Click on the “send a message” button near the top left of the page.
• Ask your MP to be in Westminster on Tuesday and vote to keep Childcare Vouchers open.
• Alternatively, you can use social media to contact your MP.

We will be monitoring the Vote closely and sharing updates on our social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn). We encourage you to follow these channels to stay informed. We will be sending newsletters out to parents, employers and childcare providers in the week commencing 19 March to share the outcome and what it means for you. If you are not currently on our mailing list, and would like to receive our updates, please contact us at hello@employersforchildcare.org.

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 the end of 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 Childcare Vouchers, or 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 last year gained an average of £4,130.