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VPMA chief welcomes childcare initiative
Helen Sanderson, president of the VPMA, has welcomed the announcement of the new tax-free childcare scheme.
Helen Sanderson, president of the VPMA, has welcomed the announcement of the new tax-free childcare scheme.

Scheme will help vets and nurses seeking return to work says president

THE VPMA has welcomed Government plans to introduce a new tax-free childcare scheme from the autumn next year.

Under the new scheme, households where two parents are working and paying for registered childcare will be able to claim relief on contributions of up to £2000 per child per year, subject to eligibility.

Helen Sanderson, president of the VPMA said: ‘This initiative will help both employees and employers in the veterinary sector quite a bit.

"Many small and medium sized practices are put off offering the current childcare voucher scheme due to administration time and costs. This new scheme will give another option without the associated burden of administration on the practice.

"At the same time, it will make life a little easier for working parents who rely on childcare but aren’t eligible for the voucher scheme or whose employer doesn’t offer it.

"Also, by lowering eligibility to those earning £50 per week or more, it will help to encourage a return to work following maternity leave, particularly vets and nurses seeking a gradual return or part-time working.’

Working parents will be set up an account on www.gov.uk into which they can pay money for registered childcare. For every 80p they pay in, the government will top it up by 20p or 20%, the rate at which most people pay tax.

The parents can then pay their registered childminder out of this fund, with the flexibility to increase and reduce payments. Employers running the voucher scheme will be able to continue with it after the new scheme launches, but won’t be able to accept new employees onto it from autumn 2015.

For more information see www.vpma.co.uk and https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tax-free-childcare-10-things-parents-should-know


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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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Germany livestock import ban lifted

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Defra said the decision follows 'rigorous technical assessment' of the measures applied and the current situation. "If the situation changes, we will not hesitate to take necessary action in response to the FMD outbreaks in the European Union to protect our domestic biosecurity," it said.

The ban was implemented in January following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) near Berlin. Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products will remain in place at a country level.