A. The “Reconfirmation” section of a parent’s online childcare account will show the earliest date that they can reconfirm, which is 28 days before the deadline. If they reconfirm on time, their eligibility end date extends by three months. If a parent reconfirms after the deadline, this date will be when their eligibility restarts. Parents will receive an email reminding them to reconfirm four weeks before their reconfirmation deadline. If they still haven’t reconfirmed they will receive another email two weeks before their reconfirmation deadline, and a notification email the day after their eligibility has lapsed if they don’t reconfirm.
Q. Why did HMRC issue parents with temporary codes?
A. We issued temporary codes to those parents who were having technical issues with the service on/before the 31 August deadline. This was to ensure that they could receive their 30 hours free childcare from September. These codes will expire three months after issue.
Q. What should parents with temporary codes do for the January term?
A. After their temporary code has expired, parents will need to apply through the digital service and receive their permanent 30 hours code before the start of the January Term. We will write to all parents with a temporary code and provide them with instructions on how to do this.
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Tax-Free Childcare rollout continues 16 January 2018
Tax-Free Childcare is now open to parents whose youngest child is under 9, or who turns 9 on 15 January 2018.
The scheme will open to all remaining eligible families with children under 12 on 14 February 2018. This means all eligible parents will be able to apply for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) before the end of this financial year.
Parents, including the self-employed, can apply online for Tax-Free Childcare by visiting the Childcare Choices website . Parents can also access the government’s childcare calculator through Childcare Choices, which helps parents to choose which government childcare support is best for them.
Since opening the childcare service, through which parents apply for 30 hours free childcare and Tax-Free Childcare, more than 325,000 customers have successfully applied and are now using the service.
You can read the full press release on GOV.UK.
CIPP comment Government is currently debating the future of childcare vouchers (Employer Supported Childcare (ESC)) after an e- petition on the UK Government and Parliament website reached over 1,000 signatures, the point at which a parliamentary debate is required.
The petition was started in October last year as part of a campaign to retain childcare vouchers and has to date received 116,263 signatures. Petitions run for 6 months and this one is due to end on 18 March.
Parents will not be able to simultaneously receive support from both ESC and TFC. Parents who wish to remain in ESC will be able to, while their current employer continues to offer the voucher scheme. There is no obligation to switch to TFC, however, existing voucher schemes will be closed to new applicants from April 2018. A number of organisations, including the charity Working Families and the Childcare Voucher Providers Association, have called on the Government to keep childcare vouchers open to parents alongside the TFC scheme on the grounds that: Childcare vouchers are widely-used and popular with parents and employers. Some families will lose out under Tax-Free Childcare, compared to childcare vouchers. Vouchers provide a way for employers to demonstrate their commitment to supporting family-friendly working practices.
The parliamentary debate is due to take place today (15 January); the Policy team will keep you informed of the outcome.
The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals
Policy News Journal
cipp.org.uk
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