HMRC Childcare Forum highlights need for standardised processes for childcare voucher schemes

  • Working parents and carers criticise some schemes for lack of traceability and reporting processes
  • For a full copy of the White Paper please contact Early Years Vouchers Ltd

Manchester, UK - 11 October 2007 - HMRC hosts regular childcare forums that centre on the issue of childcare help for employees. At the most recent meeting held in London, a number of childcare providers highlighted the need for more standardised processes for childcare voucher scheme administration. Processes such as employee awareness, voucher authorisation and clearly referenced payments were identified as procedures that caused confusion and frustration among employers, employees and carers. Early Years Vouchers Ltd (EYVL), one of the UK's leading childcare voucher providers who attended the Forum, is the industry's only childcare voucher provider that currently offers structured processes for easier traceability and reporting. Working parents can benefit from EYVL's offering thanks to a relatively simple procedure for employers and a pain-free exercise for carers.

Working parents were invited to attend the forum and voiced their criticism at the lack of consistent and readily-available information regarding childcare voucher schemes, and there was negative feedback from discontented carers about the absence of referenceability of childcare vouchers themselves. EYVL, however, makes sure that it provides childcare voucher scheme support and information to all its clients at every stage of issuing childcare vouchers.

"As the childcare voucher market continues to grow, it is vital that the administration processes are as clear as possible," comments Amanda Ward, Director of Early Years Vouchers Ltd. "In extreme cases some nurseries, for example, have threatened to stop accepting childcare vouchers from some providers, which could pose a problem for employees. EYVL clearly references each payment to a carer with the child's name and voucher number, or the particular childcarer's reference number - making the childcarer's life as easy as possible.

"We set our voucher system up with all the administrative processes in place. Nurseries, such as Dicky Birds, independent carers, as well as leading international corporations - Kellogg, Schwak and Endemol - are all benefiting from the clear and hassle-free processes that we offer!"

Amanda Ward adds: "Parents not only need an easily accessible  source of information, but also assistance with making sense and use of that information - and this is what we offer them at EYVL. We provide all the relevant informative material, one-on-one help sessions, and on-going query support."

How the EYVL process works:
Early Years Vouchers Ltd has recently extended the functionality of its online childcare voucher website - www.childcare-vouchers.net - the industry's only fully-automated childcare voucher scheme that provides a paperless end-to-end process. In addition to the traditional BACS and cheque voucher payment methods, EYVL now offers online auto-pay and Direct Debit payment facilities to all employers, parents and carers. This ensures they benefit from faster voucher validation, approval and redemption times. 

These enhancements now enable employers and carers to centrally administer multiple accounts and consolidate disparate locations, allowances and pay regimes. For the first time, managers will be able to set their accounts to auto-authorise voucher issue, as well as set up weekly, four-weekly and monthly payment schemes.

EYVL provides a simple and efficient way for parents to manage their childcare voucher allowance online, hassle-free. They are issued childcare vouchers by their employer which they bring to approved or registered carers, to pay for all or part of their childcare cost. Carers then redeem the voucher for the full face value. Redemption is immediate and free.

Early Years Vouchers Ltd also employs staff experienced in general payroll, pension, tax, income support and marketing issues and can address issues at all these critical stages to provide a complete childcare voucher support service.

About Early Years Vouchers Ltd:
Early Years Vouchers Ltd is one of the UK's leading childcare voucher companies. Founded in 2004, the company operates one of the UK's most advanced fully functional online childcare voucher systems for parents, carers and employers of any size - from large nationwide organisations with many thousands of employees to small companies with just two or three. The scheme enables each parent to achieve significant cost savings for the 2006-2007 tax year of up to £962.28 per year for a 22% tax payer and £1,195.56 per year for a 40% tax payer. Additional information is available at www.childcare-vouchers.net or contact:

Amanda Ward
Director
Early Years Vouchers Ltd
Tel: 0161 613 9163
Email: award@earlyyears.net

Manuela Whittaker
ThePressOffice – PR for Early Years Vouchers Ltd
Tel: 01780 721433
Email: mwhittaker@pressoffice.targetwire.com


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