Childcare vouchers firm won’t refund £2,800 accrued since pandemic struck

One reader said KiddiVouchers told her that her change of circumstances did ‘not meet the exceptional or unforeseen threshold for a refund’. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

During the pandemic I did not reduce my monthly payments for childcare vouchers. As a result I have nearly £2,800 in my tax-free childcare account. I now work remotely and don’t need them but have been told I can’t get a refund.

I was paying the maximum £243 a month via salary sacrifice into my KiddiVouchers account. This worked until Covid hit but my employer has switched to permanent home working so I no longer need wraparound childcare.

I explained my change in circumstances to [the scheme provider] and requested they refund my employer so it could be repaid (after tax and national insurance) to me. My employer is happy to do this.

However, KiddiVouchers has refused because it “does not meet the exceptional or unforeseen threshold for a refund”. I can’t believe that the pandemic is not considered “exceptional or unforeseen”.