CSA and childcare voucher schemes

Im currently looking at maintenance payments for my daughter. My intention was to include childcare vouchers as part of the overall maintenance as my daughter is in full time child care - seems logical. has anyone got any experience in this area - do CSA recognise the vouchers, as part of maintenance payments??

Shellshocked,

No answer on how the CSA wd view childcare vouchers. Surely the money will have to be spend on childcare anyhow so why not just hand it over as you are supposed to ...?? And what would happen when your daughter leaves full time childcare?? Would you revert to paying real money then??

Also I am pretty sure that maintenance is not counted for child tax credit purposes so do be sure whatever you are proposing is not going to cause a problem with any claims for the childcare element of that.

Hadenoughnow

Shell_shocked,

Several points:

Firstly, you don't have to use the CSA, you can make a voluntary agreement between yourselves.

Also if your ex is in receipt of working tax credits she may be entitled to an element to assist up to 80% (I think) of childcare costs.

You can always look at the CSA website to see if you can find the answer, but bear in mind a lot of things are changing with the CSA over the next couple of months.

Hope this helps, although I know it hasn't directly answered the question you were asking.

xx Sarah xx

hi, first- yes you do not have to use the csa, although be cautious as i have had my fingers burnt twice with not using them and it wont happen again.
accept less and be sure of getting it regular.
second- the csa only recognise the income of absent parent and take a percentage of that.
it may be worth ringing them as they are updating the whole csa.
hope this helps.x