Childcare Plus

The scheme provides a tax efficient means to pay for childcare costs using childcare vouchers provided through Sodexo.

How Childcare Plus works

You can take part of your annual salary to cover childcare provision using childcare vouchers. Vouchers are free of tax and NI, up to a limit of £243 per month (£2,916 per year).  For those joining after 6th April the amount of vouchers you can take will be based on whether you pay tax at the basic, higher or additional tax rate.   

Childcare vouchers can be used to pay any childcare provider registered with the Scottish Commission for the Regulation for Care (or English regulatory equivalent).Childcare Plus will result in participating employees seeing a tax and national insurance saving of up to £857 a year for a basic rate tax payer and £1196 a year for a higher rate tax payer if you were to take the maximum monthly amount of £243.

Due to a change in tax rules higher rate tax payers who join the scheme from the 6th April 2011 will only be able to receive up to £124 of vouchers per month and additional rate tax payers will only be able to receive £95 of vouchers per month.  This will reduce savings available to these participants.  If this applies to you and you join Childcare Plus before the 6th of April you will not be affected by this change.

See Benefits Plus calculator to see exactly how Benefits Plus might affect you.

How do I apply?

If you do not currently receive Childcare Plus vouchers, you can sign up at any time, provided that you do not earn less than the Pay Protection Limit (see Benefits Plus: frequently asked questions), or, your earnings would fall below the National Minimum Wage if you were to participate.  For details on how to register, please see Childcare Plus: frequently asked questions.

If you participate in any other parts of Benefits Plus then these will also be taken into account when deciding if you can participate in Childcare Plus (please refer to Benefits Plus: frequently asked questions for more details).

To sign up for the Childcare Plus you need to register with Sodexo.

Changing your terms and conditions of employment

Please note that by participating in Childcare Plus you are agreeing to reduce your gross contractual salary by the value of your childcare vouchers and you are agreeing to a change to your terms and conditions of employment with the University. You will have the opportunity to review your participation in Childcare Plus on 1 October each year, or if you have a lifestyle event (see Benefits Plus: frequently asked questions). More details of Childcare plus can be found in Childcare Plus: frequently asked questions. If you have any further questions about Childcare Plus, please contact Ali Silverstein in Human Resources on 0141 330 2666, email Ali.Silverstein@glasgow.ac.uk.