52,710 families in the North West saved on childcare costs with Tax Free Childcare

MORE than 52,500 families in the North West saved on childcare costs in December thanks to Tax-Free Childcare and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging those yet to sign up not to miss out.  The latest figures revealed by HMRC show an increase of 9,840 families in the North West using the scheme compared to December 2021.

Tax Free Childcare is a financial support for working families with children up to the age of:- 11, or 16, if their child has a disability. The Government top up can be used to pay for any approved childcare including holiday clubs, breakfast and after School clubs, child minders and nurseries.  

A total of £41.5 million in Government top up payments were made to working families across the UK in December 2022 with each family saving up to £2,000 a year per child or £4,000 if their child is disabled. 

Families who have not yet signed up should check their eligibility and apply online today.  Opening a Tax-Free Childcare account is quick and easy and can be done at any time of the year.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Director General for Customer Services, said:- "We want to help families get the most out of their finances and Tax-Free Childcare can help pay towards their childcare costs. Search 'Tax-Free Childcare' on GOV.UK to get started." 

For every £8 paid into the Tax-Free Childcare account, families automatically receive an additional £2. Families can save up to £500 every 3 months (£2,000 a year) for each child or £1,000 (£4,000 a year) if their child is disabled. 

More than 1 million families in the UK are entitled to some form of Government childcare support and the Government is encouraging those eligible not to miss out on their entitlements.  Families can find out more about Tax-Free Childcare via the Childcare Choices website.  The Government is offering help for households. Check Goc.UK to find out what cost of living support, including help with childcare costs. 

76% of employers think that the sides involved in strike action should seek mediation from Acas

A new survey has found that 76% of employers think that the various sides involved in strike action should seek mediation from Acas to resolve their dispute. Acas offers a free service called collective conciliation that can mediate between employers and trade unions to help resolve disputes. The YouGov poll asked respondents whether they thought the various sides in dispute taking strike action should involve Acas. Only 8% said that they should not use Acas and 16% didn't know.

Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said:- "Acas has an excellent track record and decades of experience in resolving disputes between employers and trade unions. However, this service is voluntary so we can only help if all the parties involved in a dispute are willing to explore how conciliation can help them reach a resolution. Using an independent impartial Acas conciliator in a long running dispute can help bring a calm, fresh pair of eyes to identity common ground between the sides in dispute and find a way forward, which can help break a deadlock. We stand ready to help and Acas has seen a 20% rise in demand for our collective conciliation compared to the same period last year. This help has included confidential background support to the parties involved in strike action."

Acas also commissioned YouGov to ask employees whether they thought the various sides in dispute taking strike action should involve Acas. 71% of employees surveyed said they should; 6% said they should not; and 23% didn't know. Acas has experienced and skilled conciliators that can offer a confidential space in talks to help parties in dispute find a mutually acceptable resolution. They can help to identify areas of common ground, clarify differences and draw on their knowledge of industrial relations to help the parties move towards workable solutions. Acas collective conciliators are independent and impartial. This means they do not take sides or impose solutions. They're there to help both parties find a solution that everyone agrees to. The majority of Acas's collective conciliation work takes place before formal talks. It is a period of 'pre-talk support'. This can include sharing information informally between parties, educating them on different options about talks, exploring those options and discussing the support needed for the negotiators. Acas handles around 500 collective disputes every year. For more information, please see:- ACAS.Org.UK.