to think 'the govt' has no idea how much childcare actually costs re. their new deal for parents

[Loislane78]

m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21833929

£6,000 per year?

Where I live (SE) its over £12,000 per year and not at a super posh Montessori number. My family lives up north and both sisters paid £600+ per month years ago so would be interested how they arrived 'at what they believe to be the average'. hmm

I reckon one in FT here (Midlands) would cost £8.5k, again nothing special.

It says if one parent isn't working then you don't get it.

What about illness, temporary medical issues etc? It says nothing about that...

No idea how they got this "average" either.

Interesting that they are replacing childcare vouchers with this assistance, but only for two working parent families

Is this for pre-school children or all children? Because wrap around and holiday care for school age children would bring the average down.

20% of childcare costs is next to nothing even if they had estimated the price of childcare properly.

I think it's good that it will only be given to two parent families when they are both working, but it should be more than that IMO.

We're in the SW and the nursery we used before DD went to school is now £12k a year for under 2s and £10700 for over 2s.

Unless they are very much cheaper in other areas I think they've underestimated.

I work four days a week and I think that estimate is about right for us. However, we get a discount for picking DD up a little earlier than normal - she doesn't have tea there and leaves at 3.45. We are very lucky as the nursery are so lovely. When the report says it will replace the exisiting childcare vouchers, does that mean you will no longer be able to buy the Kiddicare vouchers that give you a tax break on part of your fees? Because if that is the case, I really do not think we will be any better off.

What about single parents in work? Can't find anything on that online?

Figures here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21668842

was being thick, here's a link to the changes relevant to lone parents, for anyone who's interested

So according to that link it's based on 25 hours of care per week? I think the devil is always in the detail so we'll see how it actually works out.

I have been back at work for 6 months and been running at a deficit until now, so I'll take what I can get as a refund.
I think I read it doesn't come into effect until 2015, at which point DD will be at school anyways.

Yes this will replace the existing vouchers. Higher rate tax payers who have been receiving childcare vouchers under the original scheme terms and getting tax relief at 40% will be worse off.

Im not a higher rate tax payer but still cant see how we would be better off. However, DD will be almost 4 so will only have to lump it for a short time I guess.

I thought it sounded good. Until I added up my yearly nursery spend and discovered even with £1200 we're still WAY over the supposed 'average'. Why are they so utterly hopeless - what good is this going to do? And we still have to pay upfront then claim back in retrospect...

...and if the 20% is the total per family, then all families with both parents currently receiving the maximum amount of childcare vouchers will also be worse off by£100 PCM for basic rate tax payers, more for higher rate.

Looks like another vote loser lol.

Do both parents have to be working FT? I suppose not if the estimate is based on 25hrs care.

I wish some of these politicians just stayed at home and watched TV tbh because their endless meddling just seems to make things worse.

As with many things numbers related you can make it appear as you want for a bit of PR but the devil is in the detail.

Eeeediots.

Have tried to look at information about abolition of chilcare vouchers. Only wondering because I have been taking more than I need for dd1 for use when she has a sibling but now worried they are going to become useless!!

I pay 12,000 a year down south and its certainly not a posh nursery.

Is it 1200 per family or per child?

£18000 a year here. Full time SWLondon nursery, nothing fancy at all.

When I had 2 in full time nursery, I was paying £9200 a year for a very lovely but non-posh nursery. I wouldn't have sneezed at £1200, but it wouldn't have got more than a weary laugh out of me either... This government really doesn't have a clue about what childcare really costs.

And then we get into the Universal Credit situation - they're estimating £6k for 25 hours a week, but under UC if you don't work enough hours/earn enough money they will make you do job searches or take your UC away. This is just going to be another almighty mess.

I'm so glad mine are no longer in need of childcare now - if we had DC now we would stop at one because we would not be able to afford any more.

Pointy - when and where was that? Ours is about £11k for 1 child FT.