Childcare support

A helping hand with childcare

The cost of childcare can take up an increasingly large slice of a typical family budget. There are a number of initiatives and services that you can access as an employee of the University, to reduce the cost and make it easier for you to manage childcare alongside work.

The University’s Salary Sacrifice Scheme, which is due to launch in January 2022, is available for all salaried employees of Loughborough University who use the on-campus Nursery.

Under the scheme, employees will be able to pay their Nursery fees from their gross (pre-tax) salary, resulting in a saving in income tax and national insurance contributions.**

The scheme will operate on an annual basis and employees who would like to participate will be asked to sign a written agreement to amend their employment contract so their salary is reduced by the cost of nursery fees.

You can view the Conditions of Membership as well as some FAQs about the scheme below.

If you wish to apply to the Loughborough University’s Nursery Salary Sacrifice Scheme, please email the Payroll team.

*Please note this scheme is not available to employees of other organisations based on the Loughborough University campus.

**On the condition that the amount deducted does not take an employee’s salary below the national insurance threshold or minimum wage level.

The Government closed the Childcare Vouchers scheme to new entrants on 4 October 2018. This means that if you are not already in the University Childcare Vouchers scheme (called Computershare), this option is no longer available to you, you may be eligible to benefit from the Government’s Tax Free Childcare scheme or the Loughborough University Nursery Salary Sacrifice Scheme which is available to salaried employees of the University.

Existing members of the University childcare voucher scheme will be able to remain in the scheme for as long as you remain an employee of Loughborough University, provided you don’t take a break of more than 52 weeks from receiving vouchers.

What is the new Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme?

Under TFC, eligible families will receive 20% of their annual childcare cost, up to a maximum of £10,000 of registered childcare, giving a maximum saving per child up to the age of 12 of £2,000 (or £20,000 of registered childcare giving a maximum saving per disabled child of £4,000 up to the age of 17).

For more information please visit Childcare Choices and to access a TFC versus Childcare Voucher calculator, please go to www.tax-free-childcare.info

The Loughborough University Nursery – run by Imago Venues – offers places for children aged 0-5 years for University staff, students, and the local community.

Building a community of learners is at the heart of Loughborough University Nursery. We aim to ensure that children have space and support to learn, develop a culture of collaboration, remove barriers to success and focus on positive outcomes for children and their parents.

The nursery is situated on the University campus and is open all year except bank holidays and an additional day at Easter and  the August bank holiday and for two weeks at Christmas, operating Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm.

For further information visit the Nursery website or contact the Head of Nursery on 01509 564068 or email nursery@lboro.ac.uk.

A little help in the holidays . . .

We recognise that even when your children start school, there are still times when childcare is difficult.

The University currently subsidises three school holiday play schemes for children of employees. The subsidy is provided to help employees manage their home and work commitments during school holidays.