Jump to content

Recommended Posts

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.

Sorry - am being totally thick (i blame maternity leave head). Do you mean that my employers should be paying for my childcare vouchers? If so is that only if they only pay statutory mat pay or is it regardless. My work is giving me an 'enhanced mat pay' package for 19.5 weeks (then back to the statutory). So should I ask them to pay my ?243 each month also?

Quote from www.personneltoday.com


Childcare vouchers and salary sacrifice during maternity leave: The true cost of childcare vouchers


"They want to know the financial risks," says Morris. "We tell them that once a new mother stops receiving maternity pay - and is still on maternity leave - the employer will have to pay the full cost of the voucher. Only now are some employers cottoning on to the full costs of offering childcare vouchers."


So it seems the Employer is only liable for the cost of the vouchers once maternity pay ceases.

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.

I've been told that it depends whether your childcare vouchers are part of your 'benefits' or paid for out of your salary.

If you ask your employer to provide childcare vouchers in lieu of salary, I'm told that your employer doesn't have to pay them (in the same way they don't have to pay your salary). If however, they are part of your benefits package then they do have an obligation to keep providing your benefits during maternity leave.

Ah I think I see. I've got Accor vouchers which I'm paying for by salary sacrifice (not part of a benefits package). So my work won't do anything differently for me during my mat leave will they? I'll just keep paying for them as normal (well until Gordon Brown takes them away from us of course!).

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

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Per Cllr McAsh, as quoted above: “We are currently updating our Enforcement Policy and changes will allow for the issuing of civil penalties ranging from £175 to £300 for visible smoke emissions, replacing the previous reliance on criminal prosecution. " Is anyone au fait with the Clean Air Act 1993, and  particularly with the state of 'Smoke Control' law and practice generally?  I've just been looking  through some of it for the first time and, afaics, the civil penalties mentioned  were introduced into the Clean Air Act, at Schedule 1A, in May 2022.  So it seems that, in this particular,  it's a matter of the enforcement policy trailing well behind the legislation.  I'm not criticising that at all, but am curious.  
    • Here's the part of march46's linked-to Southwark News article pertaining to Southwark Council. "Southwark Council were also contacted for a response. "Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets & Waste said: “One of Southwark’s key priorities is to create a healthy environment for our residents. “To achieve this we closely monitor legislation and measures that influence air pollution – our entire borough apart from inland waterways is designated as a Smoke Control Area, and we also offer substantial provision for electric vehicles to promote alternative fuel travel options and our Streets for People strategy. “We as a council support the work of Mums for Lungs and recognise the health and environmental impacts of domestic solid fuel burning, particularly from wood-burning appliances. “We are currently updating our Enforcement Policy and changes will allow for the issuing of civil penalties ranging from £175 to £300 for visible smoke emissions, replacing the previous reliance on criminal prosecution.  “This work is being undertaken in collaboration with other London boroughs as part of the pan-London Wood Burning Project, which aims to harmonise enforcement approaches and share best practice across the capital.” ETA: And here's a post I made a few years ago, with tangential relevance.  https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/278140-early-morning-drone-flying/?do=findComment&comment=1493274  
    • The solicitor is also the Executor. Big mistake, but my Aunt was very old, and this was the Covid years and shortly after so impossible to intervene and get a couple of close relatives to do this.  She had no children so this is the nephews and nieces. He is a single practitioner, and most at his age would have long since retired - there is a question over his competence Two letters have already gone essentially complaining - batted off and 'amusingly' one put the blame on us. There are five on our side, all speaking to each other, and ideally would work as a single point of contact.  But he has said that this is not allowed - we've all given approval to act on each others behalf. There are five on her late husband's side, who have not engaged with us despite the suggestion to work as a team, There is one other, who get's the lion's share, the typicical 'friend', but we are long since challenging the will. I would like to put another complaint together that he has not used modern collective communication (I expect that he is incapable) which had seriously delayed the execution of the will.   I know many in their 80s very adept with smart phones so that is not an ageist comment. The house has deteriorated very badly, with cold, damp and a serious leak.  PM me if you want to see the dreadful condition that it is now in. I would also question why if the five of us are happy to work together why all of us need to confirm in writing.             The house was lived in until Feb 23, and has been allowed to get like this.
    • Isn’t a five yearly electricity safety certificate one of the things the landlord must give for a legal tenancy?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...