Spring clean your finances as we head into 2021!

It has been a difficult start to 2021 for many families, with the introduction of new restrictions and a move to ‘remote learning’ for many pupils. There are financial strains as well, while Christmas is always an expensive time for parents, this year more families will have experienced a drop in household income – such as due to furlough, a decrease in work or even redundancy. We are here to help, and are encouraging you to find out now, at the start of a new year, what financial support your family may be entitled to.

Financial support with childcare costs

Now is the time to check the support you are getting with childcare costs. There are four main types of support with registered childcare costs – Tax Credits, Universal Credit, Childcare Vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare. The support that was best for you last year may no longer be your best option this year if you’ve had a change in your household circumstances, whether it’s a reduction in income due to furlough or an increase in your childcare costs due to factors such as school closures, or grandparents no longer being able to offer informal childcare.

Childcare Vouchers

If you are a member of the Childcare Voucher scheme have you made sure to make at least one payment from your salary into your account within the last 52 weeks? If you’ve been on furlough at all during the last year, and unable to sacrifice into your account, have you looked into backdating your payments to make the most of your annual allowance?

To find out more about staying eligible for Childcare Vouchers, read our article here and to learn more about backdating, see this article.

Covid-19

Covid-19 has had a massive impact on everyone’s lives. If you are on furlough or receiving a payment from the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme do you know what impact this may have on financial support you are accessing or entitled to?

We are here to answer your questions

Our Family Benefits Advice Service is here to help, you can call our Freephone 0800 028 3008 (Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm) and one of our trained advisors will be able to calculate exactly what support you may be entitled to. We provide advice and guidance on a wide range of support including Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit, Tax Credits and advice on how the new Government assistance schemes work.