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Original poster

Is Liz Truss going to scrap free childcare?!

143 replies

ShrimpingViolet · 06/10/2022 20:00

This story is worrying:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/06/revealed-rightwing-slash-and-burn-ideas-that-could-be-blueprint-for-truss?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I have no idea how we'd cope as a family if this happened, coupled with everything else that's going on at the moment with the cost of living.

I hope to god other MPs speak up about this so it can be stopped. Is it worth writing to local MPs to ask for assurances?

OP posts:
MrsLouisaJPickletops · 07/10/2022 21:00

PrincessButtercupToo · 07/10/2022 20:50

Only if you’re on more than about £40,000.

If you are on less than this then you’re unlikely to be a net contributor.

I’d be very happy to see the childcare subsidy reduced if it let the top rate of tax be lowered.

Show quote history

Are you Liz Truss. There are many more ways to contribute to our world, country & community than just paying tax, thanks. I personally value the many varied ways people take part in this life, many of them crucial to society and earning well under £40K.

BurnDownTheDiscoHangTheDJ · 07/10/2022 21:08

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 07/10/2022 20:51

Wouldn't surprise me, then it wouldn't surprise me if she decided to implement a weigh in system where fat benefit claimants get less money to incentivise buying less food. The woman's only interested in making more money for herself and her rich mates.

They're basically asset-stripping the nation at this point.

Meklk · 07/10/2022 21:18

That's why we should NEVER EVER have PM who cares only about her bloody career and doesn't have a clue about family life.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery Families
Meklk · 07/10/2022 21:20

LesOliviers · 06/10/2022 23:01

Cutting free childcare hours would financially finish my family off!

And most of the families would be on benefits. Because one of the parents would stay at home or would be able to do only couple of hours a day. Still - not enough income.

Thehawki · 07/10/2022 21:34

PrincessButtercupToo · 07/10/2022 20:36

It’s not “free” of course, it’s paid for by other people, mainly the highest earners.

Yeah, I feel really sorry for all the high earners tbh, poor things. Having to pay so that other children get a good start in life :'(. It's so unfair to them.

Meanderingpuppy · 07/10/2022 21:54

She is awful and it is a horrendous idea, but I don't think she will last long enough to do this.

Cliveandclyde · 07/10/2022 22:02

High rate taxpayer here. I don't want my taxes cut. I would rather they were increased to pay for essential support like this. Disgusting this is even being considered.

justasking111 · 07/10/2022 22:08

Fiscally it doesn't make sense. Throwing women onto the scrap heap will cost so much more than it could ever save.

FartOutLoudDay · 07/10/2022 22:10

I can see ratios going

AntlerRose · 07/10/2022 22:12

I can see ratios going too. This will mean poor people can access cheaper, less safe day care and richer people can carry on with nice safe day care.

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 07/10/2022 22:17

Meklk · 07/10/2022 21:18

That's why we should NEVER EVER have PM who cares only about her bloody career and doesn't have a clue about family life.

That seems like an odd thing to say when she's married with two teenage girls.

Hindsightin · 07/10/2022 22:17

The ratios thing is extraordinary isn’t it - imagine looking at all of government spending and thinking you know what - decreasing the safety of babies and small children seems like a fair trade off for funding entrepreneur tax breaks

Starlightstarbright1 · 07/10/2022 22:17

FartOutLoudDay · 07/10/2022 22:10

I can see ratios going

reality is though...Funded places are massively unfunded from the goevernment, nurseries are struggling so if this happens I think ratio's will creep up and and prices either stay as they are or continue to rise..

FartOutLoudDay · 07/10/2022 22:18

Starlightstarbright1 · 07/10/2022 22:17

reality is though...Funded places are massively unfunded from the goevernment, nurseries are struggling so if this happens I think ratio's will creep up and and prices either stay as they are or continue to rise..

Show quote history

Absolutely - it won’t reduce anybody’s bills, it may reduce some providers’ losses.

Toddlerteaplease · 07/10/2022 22:21

I can't believe what an absolute clusterfuck she is crating. I thought we had hit Rick bottom with Boris. Seems not !

DisappearingGirl · 07/10/2022 22:23

I just can't imagine going to all the effort of becoming prime minister just to put in policies to make people's lives worse

Beezknees · 07/10/2022 22:24

PrincessButtercupToo · 07/10/2022 20:50

Only if you’re on more than about £40,000.

If you are on less than this then you’re unlikely to be a net contributor.

I’d be very happy to see the childcare subsidy reduced if it let the top rate of tax be lowered.

Show quote history

Would you? You'd see plenty more people quitting work and relying on benefits then.

My DC is a teen so I don't need childcare but this is honestly such a ridiculous idea.

Meklk · 07/10/2022 22:25

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 07/10/2022 22:17

That seems like an odd thing to say when she's married with two teenage girls.

Show quote history

Really? I don't think she ever struggled to pay her childcare costs. If she would - she won't come with that kind of ideas. Like always - politicians are faaaaaaar away from reality.

Iamsodonewith2020 · 07/10/2022 22:27

Really sorry and prepared to get flamed but as a childcare practitioner I see far too may children who cannot cope with full time since the introduction of the 30 hours free childcare. We have children ,whose primary caregiver works only 15 hoursOR LESS, in our childcare setting for 30 hours plus because it is funded so why not use it. If parents struggle with full time working why do they think full time childcare is ok. I know people think it is “just playing” therefore fun for the child but it is the equivalent of working full time for a young, developing child. I think if it was only funded for 15 hours still then more serious conversations would be had about the needs of the child/ versus needs/wants of the family. IMO 30 hours funding should only apply to parents where BOTH/ SINGLE parent work 25-30 hours during the core hours. We have a high earning parent at my nursery who only works 8-2pm 2 days a week yet they qualify for 9-3 childcare 5 days a week so use it!!! This is not what it should be use for. Plus it should be meNs tested IMO.

Bunnycat101 · 07/10/2022 22:29

I would like to see greater subsidies for childcare, greater recognition of the amazing job many nursery workers do. Childcare should cost a lot- babies and toddlers need excellent care if they are in a setting for 8-10 hours a day but I believe the government should subsidise it to support women back to work.

I absolutely do not agree with cutting ratios and making things a bit shitter as a ‘cost of living saving’. I’ve only got another year to pay so likely these measures won’t affect me too much but I would be angry if they came in. My nursery are already over ratio and I suspect wouldn’t cut them as there would be uproar among parents but I wouldn’t be happy with someone looking after 6 2 year olds.

Beezknees · 07/10/2022 22:31

Iamsodonewith2020 · 07/10/2022 22:27

Really sorry and prepared to get flamed but as a childcare practitioner I see far too may children who cannot cope with full time since the introduction of the 30 hours free childcare. We have children ,whose primary caregiver works only 15 hoursOR LESS, in our childcare setting for 30 hours plus because it is funded so why not use it. If parents struggle with full time working why do they think full time childcare is ok. I know people think it is “just playing” therefore fun for the child but it is the equivalent of working full time for a young, developing child. I think if it was only funded for 15 hours still then more serious conversations would be had about the needs of the child/ versus needs/wants of the family. IMO 30 hours funding should only apply to parents where BOTH/ SINGLE parent work 25-30 hours during the core hours. We have a high earning parent at my nursery who only works 8-2pm 2 days a week yet they qualify for 9-3 childcare 5 days a week so use it!!! This is not what it should be use for. Plus it should be meNs tested IMO.

Who are you to say how other parents should raise their children?

Bunnycat101 · 07/10/2022 22:34

There is an article on conservative home basically saying rich people want educational nurseries and lower income people just want it cheap so the ‘aims’ of the rich shouldn’t dictate the market and a two tier system would be fine (ie one with safe ratios and good learning for the rich and a pack them in approach for those with less money). I was shocked.

Meklk · 07/10/2022 22:34

Iamsodonewith2020 · 07/10/2022 22:27

Really sorry and prepared to get flamed but as a childcare practitioner I see far too may children who cannot cope with full time since the introduction of the 30 hours free childcare. We have children ,whose primary caregiver works only 15 hoursOR LESS, in our childcare setting for 30 hours plus because it is funded so why not use it. If parents struggle with full time working why do they think full time childcare is ok. I know people think it is “just playing” therefore fun for the child but it is the equivalent of working full time for a young, developing child. I think if it was only funded for 15 hours still then more serious conversations would be had about the needs of the child/ versus needs/wants of the family. IMO 30 hours funding should only apply to parents where BOTH/ SINGLE parent work 25-30 hours during the core hours. We have a high earning parent at my nursery who only works 8-2pm 2 days a week yet they qualify for 9-3 childcare 5 days a week so use it!!! This is not what it should be use for. Plus it should be meNs tested IMO.

I can't believe what I'm reading. Do you really think everybody can be CEO, Asset Managers, etc and WFH or have free schedule???? Come back to reality please.

sjxoxo · 07/10/2022 22:36

I was wondering when this thread would come! She might well want to scrap free childcare hours and increase staff to children ratios but I don’t think she will get the support to do either.

The number of families who rely on the free childcare hours is insanely high - it will be an absolute disaster. I just don’t think she’ll do it.

I see posts on MN these days banging on about still voting Tory because ‘they know what a woman is’… well if she scraps free childcare it will have a horrific effect on working mums. Far more damaging IMO.

The childcare ratios I think it’s possible they might change. I think mums will protest and be ignored. They want to reduce the cost of childcare which means (in true Tory fashion) reducing the quality, in reality this will mean having less staff or less staff with qualifications perhaps. Either way, it will be shit for kids in childcare and shit in the eyes of the parents. The Tories won’t care..

Thisismynamenow · 07/10/2022 22:38

Iamsodonewith2020 · 07/10/2022 22:27

Really sorry and prepared to get flamed but as a childcare practitioner I see far too may children who cannot cope with full time since the introduction of the 30 hours free childcare. We have children ,whose primary caregiver works only 15 hoursOR LESS, in our childcare setting for 30 hours plus because it is funded so why not use it. If parents struggle with full time working why do they think full time childcare is ok. I know people think it is “just playing” therefore fun for the child but it is the equivalent of working full time for a young, developing child. I think if it was only funded for 15 hours still then more serious conversations would be had about the needs of the child/ versus needs/wants of the family. IMO 30 hours funding should only apply to parents where BOTH/ SINGLE parent work 25-30 hours during the core hours. We have a high earning parent at my nursery who only works 8-2pm 2 days a week yet they qualify for 9-3 childcare 5 days a week so use it!!! This is not what it should be use for. Plus it should be meNs tested IMO.

Your unreasonable, I'd love to give up work to care for my child, but I need to pay my (increasing) mortgage. Most parents would cut the work in a heartbeat to spend it with their babies, but can't because they have to work. Means testing or cutting free childcare would send millions of households into even more poverty.
Also perhaps parents are finishing work at 2 and cleaning and doing chores the rest of the time so they can spend time with their babies after picking them up, where as most people will pick the child up then reluctantly dump them infront of the TV whilst they complete their chores.