Vouchers!

[Childminder16]

Hi. Has anyone been overpaid through the voucher scheme? If so what did you do? I've been overpaid and ready to refund the parents but some have said that I keep it as it's not my fault, some have said to refund back into the voucher scheme. I've tried contacting the voucher people but it's just constantly engaged.

[Rick]

Unless it's your parents last month with you, I would take the excess money off the next invoice. You cannot refund them with cash as they haven't paid tax or NI on the voucher amount so it would be fraud.

If it's your parents last month with you, you have to refund back to the voucher company

[AliceK]

You are not allowed to pay the parent back using cash. You will need to offset the additional amount against the next invoice. This is what I had to do when a parent accidently paid me twice.

xxx

[Childminder16]

You are not allowed to pay the parent back using cash. You will need to offset the additional amount against the next invoice. This is what I had to do when a parent accidently paid me twice.

xxx

Thank you both for your replies. Next week is their last time with me but I've been paid until the end of month. Eventually got in touch with voucher people who said that if the parent has paid me cash as well as doing the vouchers I can refund them cash if not it would have to refunded back into the scheme. The parents have paid through standing order too. I hate this side of things. Xxx

[Kiddleywinks]

The reason it must not go back directly to the parents is because tax has not been paid on it.

It must go towards childcare, if no more care is being provided by you, then it goes back to the voucher company for the next provider.
If no provider is being used then the voucher company will refund it back to the parents via their employer, who will deduct the tax on it first.

To refund the parents in cash directly is classed as fraud/tax evasion

[Childminder16]

Thank you for your replies. I really appreciate them. Xxx

I did finally get in touch with the voucher people who informed me that if the parent has paid cash as well as through the voucher scheme I can refund them back that way ( the parents have paid me by standing order on some occasions), or refund it back into the voucher scheme.

I hate anything to with the money side of things!

[Simona]

Hi. Has anyone been overpaid through the voucher scheme? If so what did you do? I've been overpaid and ready to refund the parents but some have said that I keep it as it's not my fault, some have said to refund back into the voucher scheme. I've tried contacting the voucher people but it's just constantly engaged.

If it is constantly engaged email them and specify you want to refund money into the parents' account
The vouchers company cannot get the refund from your account so you will need to send a cheque or BAC
Make sure you get confirmation of this transaction.

[hectors house]

You certainly can't just keep the money as although it's come from the voucher company, it has been taken from the parents wages and put in a voucher account - it belongs to the parents to use for childcare, either deduct it from next months bill or ask the voucher company for their bank details so you can return it.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

If you can't get hold of the voucher company and the parent is leaving then ask her to contact her voucher company or get her employer too.

[k1rstie]

One of my parents got button happy and paid me twice this month. I will carry it over towards the next two months (as term time).


It's no biggie!