Tax credits and Maternity leave Q - help please!

[MissBroody]

Hi,

My OH woks full time and I work 3 days a week. For those 3 days our DS goes to creche and we pay for this with childcare vouchers through our wages - OH pays 2 days and I pay 1. We get tax credits which cover about 70 percent of the cost of the childcare. My question is - will I still receive the same amount of tax credits when I'm on maternity leave? I'm having 6 months off - and technically still classed as emploed - but I can't see them paying for DS's creche fees when I'm sat at home, iykwim? OH seems to think we will still get the same amount...?? I hope we do as we would like to keep him in for 3 days a week - it gives me time to bond with new baby and have a break fom having the two of them, plus it's going to be very difficult to get DS - and DS2 in Jan! - back into the creche fo 3 days a week if we remove him, or drop his days down to one or two. If tax credits get dramatically slashed then there's no way we can afford to send DS 3 days a week whilst im on mat pay. So basically my question is - will I get the same amount of tax credits for DS going to creche whilst i'm on Mat leave?

xx

 

[Laura2919]

I don't think they do cover it because your at home but I would call them cos I am not 100% sure.

 

[Abz1982]

How can you have vouchers AND Tax Credits for child care? I was told by them that its one or the other?

 

[Laura2919]

Me too ^ I just thought she meant she gets childcare vouchers and her working tax and child tax covers the rest, maybe she doesn't get childcare element

 

[MissBroody]

^ that's exactly it. So anyone know?
Xx

 

[Laura2919]

Your better to call them because your getting the childcare vouchers so they don't actually pay for your nursery so your tax credits probably would go up than down because you will only get stat maternity.

 

[MissBroody]

Sorry - my first post didn't make it very clear. I don't get childcare vouchers from the government - I get childcare vouchers from my employer. I think only certain companies offer this? It just means my childcare costs come out of mine and OH's wages and the benefit of this is we save a bit of tax each month. We then get working tax and child tax credits which essentially cover the majority of the childcare. Hope that makes sense. I've had a good look at hmrc website and it's my understanding that i'll still recieve the tax credits and be able to send DS to creche as I qualified for, and recieved these, before going on mat leave. Also being on mat leave is still classed as being employed. Anyway thanks for the help
xx

 

[kanga]

You can still collect childcare vouchers while you're on mat leave. This is even the case in the last 3 months when you get zero pay (in my case anyways). Check with your scheme to be sure. x

 

[Laura2919]

So you don't get childcare element with your tax credits?

Your tax credits might change when your on Mat leave but I don't know that much to be honest. I would call them!