All Benefits for carers articles – Page 83
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Article
Budget 2010: Tax relief conditions on childcare vouchers relaxed
The government intends to introduce legislation in the next parliament that will retrospectively relax the ‘generally available’ conditions applicable to tax exemptions on childcare vouchers and employer-contracted childcare.This measure is intended to clarify the position of employers with employees on or near to the national minimum wage.The amendment in the ...
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Article
Accor Services relaunches childcare voucher scheme
Accor Services has relaunched its information and advice services by splitting its Familylife Solutions advice line into two separate lines: one offering general family advice and the other offering advice in sourcing childcare.Parents who receive Accor Services’ childcare vouchers will now have access to the two advice lines, which are ...
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Article
Back-up childcare positively affects employees’ productivity
Back-up childcare enhances job performance and reduces absenteeism, according to research conducted by Bright Horizons Family Solutions.The report, titled The Lasting Impact of Employer-Sponsored Back-Up Child Care, surveyed the employees of 14 organisations to ascertain the impact back-up childcare has on staff work focus and job satisfactionFindings included:93% said back-up ...
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Analysis
Offering employee benefits to families of staff boosts employee engagement
Benefits for employees’ dependants are under pressure, but their contribution to staff engagement is clear, says Sam BarrettExtending benefits to family members has a long tradition, going back to the days when the likes of Cadbury provided employees and their families with housing, education, healthcare and sports facilities. Today, although ...
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Analysis
Drive to improve administration for childcare voucher schemes
Childcare voucher schemes can hit administration problems, but leading providers are working to improve systems efficiency, says Nicola SullivanThe government’s announcement that it is to revise plans to phase out all tax relief on childcare vouchers came as welcome news for many employers. But this is not the only issue ...
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Article
Government revises decision on childcare voucher tax breaks
The government has revised its decision to phase out tax and national insurance breaks on childcare vouchers.The relief will now be applied to all vouchers at the standard income tax rate of 20%. Higher earners will still be entitled to the basic-rate tax saving.Ant Donaldson, a senior specialist in employee ...
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Article
KidsUnlimited adds wellbeing package to voucher scheme
KidsUnlimited is launching a product that integrates its childcare voucher scheme with a wellbeing package.Members of the scheme, which will be available to all its existing clients, will have access to a wellbeing and counselling hotline, provided by FirstAssist, as well as the Best Doctors service, which gives staff members ...
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Article
Government revises plans for childcare vouchers
The government has confirmed that it has revised its plans to phase out tax relief on childcare vouchers.Instead of withdrawing the tax relief to all new entrants from April 2011 as was previously set out in the prime minister’s speech to Labour Party Conference in September, the government has said ...
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Case Studies
Case Study: Abbey banks on childcare vouchers
Feedback from staff at Abbey suggests they greatly value the childcare vouchers that are an integral part of the bank’s benefits package.Ian Cunningham, reward consultant at Abbey, says: “Employees are in favour of this benefit as it not only saves them income tax and NI contributions, but it also provides ...
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Article
Ministers protest about childcare voucher plans
Labour MPs have asked Gordon Brown to rethink his decision to scrap tax breaks on childcare vouchers, warning that the move could cost the party crucial votes in the next general election.According to reports, Patricia Hewitt, Estelle Morris, Hilary Armstrong, Beverley Hughes and Caroline Flint are among the signatories on ...
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Analysis
News analysis: Childcare crisis looms
The government's decision to withdraw tax and national insurance relief on childcare vouchers could have major repercussions, says Nicola SullivanThe future of employers' childcare provision for staff has been cast into doubt after the government announced that the tax exemption on childcare vouchers would be abolished.Many employers are concerned they ...
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Analysis
Childcare arrangements for working parents – what benefits employers can offer
Tax and NI relief changes to childcare vouchers are on the way, but employer-provided childcare benefits remain a vital employee benefit, says Peta HodgeThe childcare market suffered a significant blow last month when prime minister Gordon Brown announced the tax and national insurance (NI) breaks on childcare vouchers would be ...
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Article
Parents will reconsider working if childcare voucher tax break is cut
More than 60% of parents using childcare vouchers will reconsider working if tax relief on the scheme is phased out.A poll of 1,800 parents conducted by Computershare Voucher Services also found that 57% of parents would not be able to maintain their existing childcare arrangements without the vouchers.Almost all (98%) ...
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Article
Case Study: Childcare voucher provision at E.On
Power company E.On views the provision of childcare vouchers through its flexible benefits plan almost as a moral obligation.Ant Donaldson, senior specialist in employee benefits, says: “I think it would be remiss of us as a major employer not to help people access savings available under the childcare voucher scheme.”By ...
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Article
Women given extensive maternity leave are less likely to get top jobs
Women who are given long periods of maternity leave could be damaging their careers, according to research conducted by the Research Institute of Industrial Economics in Stockholm, Sweden.Why Are There So Few Top Female Executives in Egalitarian Welfare States? showed women from Anglo-Saxon countries, where maternity leave is less generous ...
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Article
Resistance mounts against plans to axe tax relief on childcare vouchers
Resistance against the government’s decision to scrap tax relief on childcare vouchers is mounting and a petition set up against the plans has received thousands of signatures.Childcare providers such as KiddiVouchers are urging employers and parents to sign the official Downing Street petition, which will be open until 29 September ...
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Article
Gordon Brown responds to concerns over childcare vouchers
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has responded to concerns over his decision to abolish tax relief on childcare vouchers.During a question and answer with Mumsnet, a global online parenting network, the Prime Minister acknowledged that his plans to carry out a phased withdrawal of tax and national insurance breaks on childcare ...
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Article
Childcare vouchers campaign gathers pace
The campaign against the government's decision to abolish tax relief on childcare vouchers has gathered pace with childcare providers lobbying politicians on the issue and a petition set up against the plans attracting more than 20,000 signatures.In addition, a Facebook site dubbed 'Save childcare vouchers' has 410 members, while the ...
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Article
Childcare voucher providers team up to fight government's tax relief cuts
The newly formed association of childcare voucher providers is planning to show a united front to campaign against the government's plans to remove the current tax relief on childcare vouchers.The association, made up of 16 voucher providers including Kiddivouchers, Accor Services, Grass Roots, Computershare Voucher Services and Sodexo, have met ...
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Article
Computershare Voucher Services launches online childcare system
Computershare Voucher Services has launched an new online operating system as part of a £3 million investment programme for its childcare voucher customers.The new online system allows parents and registered carers to effectively have their own account, which can be accessed online and used to pay and redeem childcare vouchers.It ...