Press Release

NCVO offers summer childcare boost to members

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is offering a helping hand to parents in its member organisations this summer, with a new childcare voucher scheme which could help them save up to £1,196 a year on childcare fees.
Employees benefit by taking up to £243 per month in childcare vouchers which is free of tax and national insurance (NI). Employers also benefit from reduced NI contributions and a reduced administration fee from the scheme provider, 'Linking Up'.  'Linking Up' is a social enterprise established by the children's charity, 'Children's Links', which will drive all profits back to improving children's lives in the UK.

NCVO is hoping that the new scheme will make childcare accessible and affordable for small voluntary organisations as well as large ones.  At present only 3.9% of organisations with a turnover of under £10million offer childcare vouchers, compared to 83.3% of organisations with a turnover of over £10million.

'Linking Up' manages the entire scheme, liaising with parents and arranging their payments to the childcare providers.  Employers will actually save money, as the saving they make on reduced national insurance contributions is greater than the nominal 5% management charge for operating the scheme.

Richard Williams, Director of Enterprise at NCVO said:

'While the voluntary sector has traditionally been ahead of the private sector, in terms of allowances for childcare, smaller organisations have been slower to offer schemes to employees because of the cost and resource implications.  This new scheme will allow smaller organisations to offer childcare vouchers, while also benefiting children's causes.  It could actually prove 'an ace in the hole'
for small organisations seeking to recruit and retain staff.'

'Linking Up' is a unique scheme, as the only national not for profit childcare voucher provider.  It is offering NCVO members a 5% administration fee for the scheme, as opposed to their normal 6%.  Employees can take up to £243 per month from their gross salary and exchange this for childcare vouchers.

Latest figures provided by Remuneration Economics Ltd. show that the voluntary sector is ahead of the private sector in the provision of childcare:

Childcare facilities, percentage of companies          %
Manufacturing                       36.2
Distribution, Retail                          20.0
Finance                            23.2
Consultants & Business Services              33.3
IT Services and Hi-Tech                 66.0
Non-manufacturing                       59.1
Public Sector & Charities                    66.7
All Industries                           31.3

For more information on this new scheme go to www.linkingup.org.uk  or www.ncvo- vol.org.uk/hrsolutions

For press information please contact Siobhan Wakely on 020 7520 2569 or Siobhan.wakely@ncvo-vol.org.uk.

 

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