Parents are wrongly being told they can’t claim 30 hours of free childcare due to glitch with HMRC’s website
A NUMBER of parents could miss out on 30 hours of free childcare due to an HMRC website glitch.
The Government's scheme offers some working parents of three and four years olds in England 30 hours of free childcare a week.
The 30 hours free childcare can be received alongside either childcare vouchers or tax free childcare.
Childcare vouchers is the workplace benefit that allows parents to buy childcare vouchers through a "salary sacrifice" - to the tune of up to £55 a week, depending on their tax band.
While tax free childcare, is a new savings scheme designed so that for every £8 a parent pays in, the Government adds an extra £2.
But Rebecca, from Greater Manchester, who was trying to renew her 30 hours free childcare, was told she couldn't do this while claiming childcare vouchers at the same time - even though she had not applied for tax-free childcare.
What help is available for parents?
CHILDCARE can be a costly business. Here is how you can get help.
- 30 hours free childcare - Parents of 3 and 4 year olds have been able to apply for 30 hours free childcare a week since the summer with its introduction in September.
To qualify you must work at least 16 hours a week at the national living or minimum wage and earn less than £100,000 a year. - Tax credits - For children under 16, some working families can get up to £122.50 a week depending on their income to help with childcare costs.
- Childcare vouchers - If your employer offers childcare vouchers you can get up to £933 a yeaar in tax and national insurance savings.
You pay for your childcare before your tax contributions are taken out.
This will remain open to new joiners until April 2018, when it is planned tax-free childcare will replace the vouchers. - Tax-free childcare - Available to working families and the self-employed, for every £8 you put in the government will add an extra £2.
- The full roll-out has been pushed back to March 2018.
- Go to for more information and to apply
Others have been commenting on the article saying they've also struggled to complete applications.
The frustrated mum contacted (MSE), which first reported the story, to complain.
A message appeared on screen telling her: "You won't be eligible if you're still using childcare vouchers."
She had to phone the HMRC helpline to solve the issue.
Since then, three other parents got in touch with MSE after experiencing similar issues.
One parent said: "We've received the message as well when trying to renew today "
Another one added: "I got told to tick the box saying you have stopped the vouchers then edit the details on the next page. It then went through. This was however after 30 mins in the phone to HMRC sorting a security password out!"
HMRC, which runs the Childcare Service, told the Sun Online that there was no glitch, but that some parents inadvertently clicked "no" to reconfirming their 30 hours and were taken to a screen that had confusing wording suggesting 30 hours and vouchers aren’t compatible.
NOTE THIS DOWN 30 hours free childcare scheme explained – how to apply, when did it launch and who is eligible?
An HMRC spokesperson told the Sun Online:“Parents can use childcare vouchers at the same time as 30 hours free childcare, but not at the same time as Tax-Free Childcare.
"At reconfirmation, all parents are shown a summary of the details they submitted when they applied, and are asked to confirm whether these are still correct, or to amend them if their circumstances have changed.
"Parents with a Tax-Free Childcare account are also reminded that they will become ineligible if they haven’t stopped their childcare vouchers.
"Parents receiving both 30 hours free childcare and childcare vouchers can still reconfirm online and we are amending the text on the page to better reflect this.”
HMRC introduced a new Childcare Service computer system for parents in April last year.
Mums and dads have had to use the website to register for the tax-free scheme and another which gives 30-hours free childcare to three and four year olds.
But the website has since been plagued with technical problems.
Computer glitches meant many families struggled to create or use their accounts, with many missing out on the Government top-up or even being fined for late childcare payments as a result.
It prompted Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury committee and former education secretary, to demand answers from HMRC this summer.
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In August, HMRC that parents can use to claim for specific financial losses incurred, such as nursery late-payment charges or bank fees.
If you're affected by the latest glitch you can contact the childcare service helpline on 0300 123 4097.
It may be worth taking a screenshot of the message you got on the screen as proof.
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