Peak Employee Benefits Process Guide 1 | Page 4

2. BENEFITS CHILD CARE VOUCHERS The childcare voucher scheme is endorsed by HMRC and is designed to help working parents with the cost of their childcare. The vouchers can be used to pay for a variety of registered childcare including nurseries, nannies, after school activities, summer camps, au pairs, playgroups, holiday clubs and childcare provided by schools (breakfast clubs etc.). Who is the supplier? Busy Bees operate a completely online Childcare Vouchers service, we set up individual accounts for each parent where they are able to check their funds, make payments and check any payments made. How does it benefit? Working parents can benefit from significant tax and NI savings of up to £1,195 a year using Childcare Vouchers, and up to double the amount if both parents are part of a Childcare Vouchers scheme The scheme is offered to your employees by you as a staff benefit via a salary sacrifice arrangement, 4 where they can opt to exchange part of their monthly salary in return for the vouchers for a period of 12 months. Your employees will save tax and National Insurance Contributions on the amount selected (up to their tax band limit). They will be set up with an online childcare voucher account, where they can accumulate the funds and make direct payments to their chosen carers. The vouchers are valid for children up to the age of 15 or 16 if they are registered with a disability. Your employees are free to leave the scheme at any point providing they have experienced a ‘lifestyle event’. These are at the discretion of you, the employer, but they typically include: • • • • • • • Change in working hours Change in salary Leaving employment Redundancy Birth/adoption Change in childcare circumstances Moving abroad