It has been announced just this morning, that the tax relief on childcare vouchers will not be phased out as previously planned.

Instead, the Government will allow tax relief on all basic rate tax, only removing the ability to claim on higher rate tax. This means that all working parents will have the same access to childcare vouchers, regardless of their tax status.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported our campaign to save childcare vouchers – we couldn’t have done this without everyone who has signed the petition, written to their MP, provided a case study, put up posters, told their friends – you really have made a big difference.

If you want to share how much this will mean to you, email us at savechildcarevouchers@computershare.co.uk

Computershare Voucher Services are keeping up the campaign to save childcare vouchers – read our latest pieces of coverage here:

Pay and Benefits – Help The Children
As the campaign to persuade the Government to abandon its proposals to phase out childcare vouchers gather pace, Simon Moore explains why the service is so important.

Education Insider – Shouted Down
Gordon Brown looks set to renege on his flagship policy for childcare reform.

REVOLT ON THREAT TO CHILDCARE TAX BREAK UK Express, 12^th Nov – ‎GORDON Brown was last night forced to defend his plans for scrapping tax relief on childcare in the face of an angry revolt among …

Brown tries to end revolt on childcare vouchers | This is Money Daily Mail, 12 Nov – Gordon Brown last night tried to shut down a growing Labour revolt over plans to axe childcare vouchers used by hundreds of thousands of …

PM tries to defuse voucher row – Financial Times, 12^th Nov – Gordon Brown is trying to defuse a revolt over plans to phase out childcare vouchers for middle-class parents, telling rebels …

How big is the nursery rebellion? – Financial Times, 12^th Nov (Blog)

Brown heads off childcare rebellion – Herald Scotland | News … 12 Nov – Gordon Brown has issued an assurance that no parents … for nursery care will be affected by proposals to cut childcare vouchers. …

BBC – Newsnight: From the web team: 11 Nov 2009 …. Also tonight, a revolt on childcare vouchers. …

Childcare tax breaks revolt growing – News – MSN Money UK 11 Nov 2009 – Childcare tax breaks revolt growing. Gordon Brown is facing a growing revolt …

The Full Story: PM’s questions BBC, 11^th Nov

Backlash on childcare vouchers Nov 11^th , GMTV – Could Gordon Brown’s plan to phase out childcare vouchers cost him the next election? Have your say Gordon Brown’s plans to phase out childcare vouchers …

Controversy grows over plan to axe tax aid on childcare vouchers Scotsman, 12^th Nov – THE row over Gordon Brown’s plans to scrap tax relief on childcare vouchers escalated last night, threatening to echo the controversy over the 10p tax. …

Childcare vouchers saved us guardian.co.uk, 11^th Nov – I was about to sell my house to pay for childcare when I was told about these vouchers. Now Labour is taking away our tax relief I have two children aged …

New research from the Institute of Payroll Professionals reveals that the majority of employers would not offer a childcare voucher scheme if tax relief on the benefit is phased out as planned by the Labour Government…read more…..

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2009/11/firms-set-to-drop-childcare-vouchers-if-tax-move-goes-ahead.htm

There’s been great coverage over the past few days as the Sunday Times revealed that senior women Labour backbenchers, including Patricia Hewitt, the former health secretary, and Caroline Flint, the former Europe minister, severely criticise the Government’s proposal to phase out tax relief on the vouchers. They echo our belief that it will take away an important benefit from a group of working women. It was good to read the comments from Patricia Hewitt, who also recently interviewed about childcare vouchers on the World at One programme. Patricia believes that it is “the wrong thing to do socially and the wrong thing to do politically”.

In addition to the petition on the Downing Street website urging the Government to reconsider its plans, almost 40 Labour MPs have signed a parliamentary motion protesting about the move.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6908137.ece

The World At One programme that was aired on Monday 26th October included an interview with former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt who came out against the proposal to abolish Childcare Vouchers. The link to listen to the show again on BBC iPlayer is below, but to quote:

“I’m very unhappy about this idea that we help one group of families at the expense of others. It really is robbing Peter to pay Paul.” She continues: “If you concentrate so much of your effort on those at the bottom, and do that at the expense of the middle third or more, I just think that is then wrong thing to do socially and it is also the wrong thing to do politically.”

The link is here (fast forward to 25 mins and 5 seconds):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ndlnz/World_at_One_26_10_2009/

Simon Moore on the Politics Show

Simon Moore appeared on The Politics Show West at the weekend, discussing the proposals to scrap childcare vouchers.

Yesterday, Simon Moore, Managing Director of Computershare Voucher Services, was interviewed for the Politics Show by Andrew Plant, a TV reporter for BBC South. Simon discussed how the announcement about phasing out childcare vouchers will affect local parents and businesses. Simon explained that parents in the South West are going to suffer as they lose out on tax breaks for childcare. He went on the highlight that we’re not talking about the privileged classes here; we’re talking about nurses, policemen, emergency services workers, teachers, care workers…..who struggle to afford decent childcare.

A local working mum from Bristol, Charlotte Venables, 38, has three children aged two, three and five explained: “Childcare vouchers have been a big help making sure that as a mum I am able to return to work. I was horrified to hear Gordon Brown announce that he wanted to scrap them. I am not surprised so many parents are now protesting against this announcement. The Government is punishing exactly those people it should be helping – hardworking taxpayers who want to get back to work.”

The BBC building in Bristol

Simon being 'wired up'

Simon in front of the camera

Wrapping up the interview

The Sun gave great profile to our campaign yesterday: The Sun Kid Tax Fury

Great coverage for the issue in the weekend’s Sunday Telegraph, click the link below to take a read!
Who will look after baby?