SOAS Childcare Allowance

SOAS Childcare Allowance Scheme

The Childcare Allowance Scheme provides financial assistance to employees who pay fees to a childminder, nursery or crèche for the care of their children during their working hours.

Any queries about the Scheme should be directed to the first instance.

1. Eligibility

The scheme is available to all staff who have passed their probationary period.

Employees who satisfy the terms set out below are able to claim up to £25 per child per week, for a maximum of 44 weeks per annum.

Part time employees are entitled to a pro rata payment.

The allowance is payable for a maximum of six years.

Entitlement is per employee rather than per child.

Employees can choose to allocate the allowance between multiple children as they feel appropriate. For example, an employee could choose to allocate the allowance by claiming for two children concurrently for three years per child.

Payment in respect of any one child will terminate once the child starts primary school.

Allowance payments will only be made in respect of registered crèches, nurseries or childminders and will be reimbursed to the employee’s bank account.

  1. Application process

Applications for grants should be made using the application form appended to this policy and submitted through Agresso.

The application should be accompanied by an invoice for childcare from the registered crèche, nursery or childminding service. The invoice must cover the entire period being claimed.

Please allow 14 working days for the consideration and processing of these applications from the date of submission.

a)Payments should be claimed on a quarterly basis via the Agresso Self Service System.

b)You must ensure that you attach the childcare allowance application form and the official payslips/invoices from your childcare provider. An invoice must state the period it covers.

c)To avoid rejections on the system, please ensure that the correct claim amount is entered (up to the maximum of £25 per week, per child) and not the amount on the invoice.

d)The maximum quarterly allowance for a full time employee is calculated as follows: £25 x 44 weeks = £1100 per year. This is divided by 4 (quarters) = £275. If your childcare costs less than £275 per quarter, only the amount on the invoice will be authorised. If you are a part time member of staff then you should multiple £275 by your whole time equivalent to get the

SOAS Childcare Allowance

pro rata allowance. If you are unsure of how to calculate

your childcare allowance, please contact .

e)In order to receive payment for the quarter claimed, applications must be submitted within one month of the quarter end as follows:

Quarter claimed / HR deadline for receipt of
applications
1st Quarter / 1st August – 31st October / 30th November
2nd Quarter / 1st November – 31st / 28th February
January
3rd Quarter / 1st February – 30th April / 31st May
4th Quarter / 1st May – 31st July / 31st August

Applications received after the above deadlines will not be authorised. There will also be no back-payments made for quarters that have passed.

f)Allowance payments will be paid at the discretion of Human Resources, who must be satisfied that the claim is valid and within the childcare allowance budget.

g)The Childcare Allowance is a benefit in kind and income tax will be payable on any payment received.

  1. Overpayment

If for any reason there is an overpayment of childcare allowance (for instance if an employee resigns during the period for which the grant has been awarded), a refund will be claimed by the School from the employee’s salary. The refund will be at the rate of £25 per child per week (or the actual amount claimed if the fees were less than £25 per child per week). The number of weeks to be refunded will be calculated from the final date of employment to the expiry of the grant.

By signing the application form, the applicant agrees to repay any outstanding amount that cannot be recovered from salary.

4. Amendments to the scheme

The scheme may be withdrawn on three months’ notice.

The Executive Board may amend these conditions at any time but any such amendment shall not, without consent of the member concerned, affect any agreement made under the scheme before the date of the amendment.

Human Resources

Updated July 2017

SOAS Childcare Allowance

Application Form

1. Personal and Employment Information

Forename / Surname
Department / Start date at SOAS
Current Full Time
Equivalent
Contact telephone / Contact email

☐By ticking this box I confirm that all my personal details are up to date on MyView.If your personaldetails have changed, please visit MyViewand amend your information.

If you have had a variation to your contracted hours for the quarter you are claiming for, please provide details:

2. Childcare details

Child 1 / Name / Date of Birth
Child 2 / Name / Date of Birth
Child 3 / Name / Date of Birth
  1. Details of childminder, nursery or crèche

Name of Organisation
Address
Registration number
Local Authority
Total cost of facility per week1

1 Please include the total cost incurred here. However, please note that when you make a claim on Agresso, you can only claim up to the maximum of £25 per week, per child, and not the amount on the invoice.

SOAS Childcare Allowance

  1. Period claimed for

☐ 1st Quarter

1st August – 31st October

☐ 2ndQuarter

1st November – 31st January

☐ 3rd Quarter

1st February – 30th April

☐ 4th Quarter

1st May – 31st July

5. Declaration

By submitting this form on Agresso I confirm that:

☐I understand and accept the terms and conditions of the Childcare Allowance Scheme

☐I am not claiming beyond my entitlement, as specified in the eligibility section of the policy.