Tax Free Childcare Accounts

[bednobs]

i am not think but i have a very hard time understanding the amounts the govt pay into my account. I put the exact same amount in every month (946.40) yet the put in varying amounts
Last month they put in £236.60, the month before 92.34, the month before 207.37. Once i did a payment of £1 just to see and they put in 52.09!
Anyway, does anyone know when the periods run to and from or is it dependent on when you opened it? anyone else have these problems?

[Buenchico]

There's a 3-month cycle. During that cycle you get £1 from the Government for every £4 you pay in yourself. (i.e. their contribution is a quarter of your own one). £946.40 divided by 4 = £236.60, so that's one contribution explained and it's almost certainly the first month of a cycle.

However there's a cap of £500 per 3-month cycle on what the Government will pay, so you can't get £236.60 every month. So the payments for the following two months will be reduced to take that into account. (Don't ask me how they actually do the sums for those two months though. Government agencies never make things simple!)

[meglet]

Is that £946 payment for one child or more?

[bednobs]

just one child. Chris do you know if the 3 month periods are set or does it depend on the date you opened?

[Buenchico]

I wouldn't like to offer a definitive answer, Bednobs.

However I suspect that, irrespective of when you started, you'll find that you're getting paid £236.60 every third month. That month will be 'Month 1' of a new cycle.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//During that cycle you get £1 from the Government for every £4 you pay in yourself//

Are we saying that Bednobs saves £1000 a month for her kids or grand-kids (well done, nice thing to do, Bednobs), but that the Government is giving Bednob's kids/grand-kids £250 of other people's money for each £1000 she donates herself?

[bednobs]

Yes :)

[vetuste_ennemi]

Well done for the scam, then Bednobs.

[bednobs]

Not a scam

[Mamyalynne]

Take it up with the Government V_E, Bednobs is scamming no one.

https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

[vetuste_ennemi]

Why should I or anyone else pay for your kids?

Where is your self-respect?

Are you a beggar?

[bednobs]

Lol I hope you are a taxpayer because it wouldoes give me immense pleasure to think of you paying for some of my childcare :)

[vetuste_ennemi]

Why would a decent person "take pleasure" in forcing a stranger to pay their bills for them?

I understand why a a different class of person would be smirking.

[bednobs]

I take pleasure in it because it irks you so. You can take pleasure in the fact my taxes pay your pension if you like.

[vetuste_ennemi]

My pension was paid for by my own hard work.

[bednobs]

No it wasn't (if we are talking of the state pension). Your taxes went towards paying the pensioners at that time. Just as my taxes pay for yours now

[vetuste_ennemi]

My private pensions are not funded by tax payers. They are commercial arrangements which are not parasitic on third parties. And my government pension has been contributed to by my massive donations through NI and my company's also massive contributions and has no reason to be a burden on current tax-payers except that the government has used NI as a tax rather than its declared aim of insurance.

Not be too difficult for you to understand, is it?

[vetuste_ennemi]

(Rhetorical question)

[June_O]

As a higher Tax payer I find it disgusting I'm contributing to someones childcare costs. If you can afford to save nearly £1000 per month you have no need for 'charity' payments. Not your fault obviously but good grief.....

[vetuste_ennemi]

//Not your fault obviously//

I disagree, June.

[wolf63]

I can't understand how a really innocent question on tax-free accounts can turn nasty.

Bednobs - ignore them.
:-)