Cat out of the bag on vouchers for boarding school
Perhaps I should have declared an interest over last night's story on the government phasing out childcare vouchers, as I claim the maximum amount of tax-free vouchers for childcare for my three-year-old daughter.
I was interested to learn how parents of children at private schools are allowed to use the vouchers to pay for boarding fees (though not tuition costs).
And several top public schools, including Ampleforth and Wellington College, encourage their parents to make use of the scheme.
What of Eton? I contacted the bursar who told me that none of their parents do so.
"Its not been suggested," he said. So they're missing a trick there then.
What surprises me is how little take-up there is. Three hundred thousand families is a very small fraction of the many millions of parents of children up to the age of 15 who might benefit.
Indeed, I suspect that many parents might not have known about the scheme until this row broke out.
So ironically Prime Minister Gordon Brown's policy may encourage a lot more people to subscribe to childcare voucher schemes, and claim tax relief while they still can.
And that, of course, would end up costing the government money in the medium term, not save it.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 12th Nov 2009, stanilic wrote:I am so happy there is so much room at the trough.
Other countries expect their population to earn their privileges.
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Comment number 2.
At 14th Nov 2009, Radiowonk wrote:Now let me see if I have got this right. You (yes Mr Crick *you*) are doubtless on several times the national average wage / salary, and yet you are picking up a benefit which I as a taxpayer (on a pension which is considerably less than the same national average wage / salary) am paying for.
Perhaps you could confirm that in writing "And that, of course, would end up costing the government money in the medium term..." you do accept that it is not government money but *my* money.
No wonder you are smiling in the photograph at the top of your blog. You can't see me but let me assure you that I am not smiling.
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Comment number 3.
At 15th Nov 2009, David Evershed wrote:The reason the take up is so small is because it is only people who work for certain employers (eg the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and the NHS) that qualify and the self employed can not ever qualify apparently.
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