busymum

Hi Ryedalema I also pay allsave vouchers by salary sacrifice usually, the fact that we are offered a voucher scheme by our employers makes it a 'benefit' (if in reality it just saves us a bit of tax and NI each month!) however whilst you're on maternity leave on SMP and also unpaid AML your employer must pay it for you. Or so I've been told! Hope this helps

I think I have a fairly typical maternity package. I get 3 months at full pay and then I go down to SMP. Whilst I was on full pay my vouchers were paid through salary sacrifice as normal, but now I am on SMP my employer has to pay them for me. An employer is not allowed to make deductions from your SMP, but you are entitled to receive your company benefits whilst you're on maternity leave, and allsave vouchers might be 1 of your benefits. I'm no expert but I imagine 1st time mums could start claiming as soon as their child is born, you are allowed to do this if you have a ofsted registered childcarer in mind, probably putting your baby down on a nursery waiting list would be OK, you can change and add carers on-line. My employer was horrified they had to pay all this for me, poor things....... I've got a few Mum freinds who have since left to have their 2nd baby, they all work for companies who offer allsave vouchers as a benefit and they are all getting them paid for by their employers whilst they are away.

Everyone probably already knows this but just incase not, I thought I'd circulate a message..... I recently discovered by accident that my employer was legally obliged to pay allsave childcare contributions for me whilst I was on maternity leave, and I don't have to pay it back (some change in maternity law Oct 08 regarding company benefits I think?). I was paying in the maximum amount of ?243 each month and didn't opt out of the scheme when I went on maternity leave as my toddler was staying at nursery. I'm taking the full year off and they have paid all my contributions during this time, it's over 2k! Your employer may have forgotten to tell you.

Hi I've just started interviewing for a nanny position and I'm finding that the more experienced ones seem to charge ?10 ph but they are registered as self employed and do their own tax and N.I. This is for 2 sibblings, so it could be more expensive for a nanny share, 2 families (although ?14 ph above seems alot!) But does anyone know if I still have to pay sick pay to a self employed nanny? I guess this can be negotiated? I didn't have to pay my self employed childminder any sick pay when she or her child were ill, but some childminders insist on it. I would like to limit it to a maximum number of days sick pay per year. Anyone have any thoughts?

My eldest goes to Dulwich Nursery and my youngest will be starting soon. It's a very good nursery, I rarely have much to moan about and the baby room is brilliant, obviously they get slightly less 121 attention when they go into the main room, potty training can be a little hit and miss! but really other than that it's great, everyone is lovely.