Nursery Education Grant – for All Three and Four Year Olds

The term after your child’s third birthday, you will be able to claim up to 15 hours per week, term time only. We also offer the 30 hours funding for working parents. If your child attends other establishments where Nursery Education Grant funding can be claimed, please note you may still only claim a total of 15 or 30 hours a week but you can spread it across two providers.

You will be required to complete the relevant forms to enable us to claim the Nursery 38 weeks a year (term time).

To discuss the various options in utilising your child’s Nursery Education Grant funding please speak with our finance team.

Tax Credits – Help with fees

Nine out of 10 families are eligible for some financial assistance through the new Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The amount you receive will depend on your circumstances.

Families with children can claim Child Tax Credit if their income is no more than £58,175 a year (up to £66,350 if you have a child under one). The amount you get depends on various things, including your annual income and is paid directly into the bank of the main carer.
The other tax credit you may be entitled to, if either you or your partner is working, is called Working Tax Credit. It includes a childcare element to help families who are working and spending money on childcare.

How to Claim

You can order a claim pack over the ”phone by calling the tax credits helpline on 0845 300 3900. Lines are open every day (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday) from 8am to 8pm. If you’re part of a couple or civil partnership and you both work at least 16 or 30 hours a week, you can decide who’ll get the Working Tax Credit payments.
For more information on eligibility and how to claim tax credits, you can visit www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

Childcare Vouchers – through your employer

In April 2005 the government introduced the “Corporate Childcare Vouchers Scheme”. This scheme is available to all parents/legal guardians. Please do not confuse this with the “Nursery Educational Grant for three and four year olds”, which is in addition to this scheme.

The scheme works by allowing each parent/legal guardian to earn a portion of their salary, which is non-taxable and exempt from National Insurance, and is paid in the form of “Corporate Childcare Vouchers”

Self employed parents/legal guardians can also benefit from the use of these “Corporate Childcare Vouchers” but only if they pay themselves a salary.

This allowance has been capped currently at £55 for each parent/legal guardian per week. This equates to £2,916 per annum or £243 per calendar month for each parent/legal guardian.

Effectively this means that BOTH parents/legal guardians can pay the fees due on one invoice using “Corporate Childcare Vouchers”, therefore doubling the saving. This also includes same sex parents.

Restrictions

The new revised benefit of £55.00 per week per parent is in addition to existing tax credits. However it is only payable through your employer’s payroll and can only be paid in vouchers into a workplace-provided nursery, or paid by the employer direct to the nursery.

The provisions do not cover purchase of childcare vouchers directly by employees.

Vouchers must be used with a registered or approved childcare provider.

The employer must be responsible for the purchasing of childcare or you will not qualify for the tax reductions. In the case of an employer paying the nursery directly Ghyll Royd School will invoice the employer directly.

What to do next

You should speak to your Personnel/Payroll Department. They may already have registered with a company. If not, they should simply call one of them and apply to register. It is that easy!

For smaller employers, if they choose to pay Ghyll Royd School directly rather than use a third party, please contact our finance team.

If you have a query regarding the above please speak to our bursar by calling 01943 865575 or visit www.direct.gov.uk.