Childcare Vouchers are not just for nurseries!

Many parents will now be breathing a sigh of relief, as children have officially returned to school. However, the return to school is not super smooth for all parents. The normal school day does not fit in with all parents as more working parents are commuting to work and working longer hours. There is an increasing need for the school day to be more flexible and more in sync with working parent’s schedules. This problem can be solved by using before and after school clubs.

To make using before and after school clubs affordable, working parents can use Childcare Vouchers. There are a lot of myths surrounding Childcare Vouchers, one of them being that they can only be used to pay for nurseries and young children. In reality, Childcare Vouchers can be used to pay for any registered childcare provider for children up to the age of 16*. They can be used to pay for school clubs, nannies, au pairs, child-minders, nurseries and more. Furthermore, Childcare Vouchers can also be used for holiday camps in the October half term period.

Childcare Vouchers are a simple way that working parents can save on the cost of childcare. It’s just a matter of swapping a part of their salary for Childcare Vouchers, which are non-taxable and exempt from National Insurance contributions. If parents take the full amount of vouchers available to them, currently £55** per week, this can save a working parent £933** each year, depending on their individual circumstances. With soaring childcare costs, childcare vouchers are a valuable tool and offer busy working parents a myriad of childcare options.

The Government’s new Tax-free Childcare scheme has been delayed until 2017. Therefore, Childcare Vouchers are the best option for working parents to save money on their childcare until then.

Parents, whose employer doesn't offer a Childcare Voucher scheme, can contact Busy Bees Benefits who will get in touch with their employer to set up a scheme. 

For more information about Childcare Vouchers and the savings they provide, please visit www.busybeesbenefits.com.