Childcare In The UK 'Most Expensive In World'

Childcare In The UK 'Most Expensive In World'

Πηγή: Yahoonews
By Lisa Dowd

Sep. 7 2011

Britain's poorest families are turning down jobs or considering leaving work because they can't afford childcare, according to a new survey.

4,000 parents responded to research by charities Save the Children and Daycare Trust.

The study found that parents in the UK spend almost a third of their income on childcare, more than anywhere else in the world.

41% of families said the cost of childcare is on a par with mortgage or rent payments, of those families in severe poverty nearly half have cut back on food to afford childcare, and nearly 58% said they were or would be no better off working once childcare is paid for.



The charities said cuts to working tax credit have hit families struggling in severe poverty, and estimate that it's added an average £500 a year on the childcare bill of low income families.

A quarter of parents, regardless of income, said they're in debt due to the cost of childcare.

"The Government is undermining its own 'make work pay' policy by not funding the costs of childcare for the poorest families", says Sally Copley, head of poverty at Save the Children.

"Childcare in the UK is amongst the most expensive in the world and families on low incomes simply don't earn enough to cover the costs and are being priced out of work as a result.

"The recent cut to the working tax credit has only made this worse with many parents realising they are no better off working and they and their children remain trapped in poverty".

"Being able to work and be financially independent is in the interests of both families and our wider society", adds Anand Shukla, acting chief executive of Daycare Trust , "yet as our survey shows, parents are being forced out of work as a direct result of how expensive childcare is.

"If you want welfare reform to ensure that work does pay for low income families, then you need high-quality childcare provision that is affordable for parents".

Kristina Oberhuber, 39, from North London, was hoping to return to work after having her second child.

She's self employed in marketing, but was shocked to find that childcare in Haringey would cost her around £1,600 a month. In her native Sweden, where it's heavily subsidised, it would be just £200.

"It makes me very angry, says the 39 year old, "when I grew up in Sweden I never saw anyone having problems, no women, no mothers having problems going back to work, it was just expected that you would do that, it was easy to do it.

"When I came here and had kids here I've realised there's a totally different scenario here and I hope that I will be able to find work and be able to pay for childcare, but I don't know what the future holds right now".

The charities said they are calling on the Government to increase the amount they plan to spend on childcare support under the new Universal Credit in a bid to prevent low income families from being priced out of work and into poverty.

The Government says under Universal Credit, which aims to simplify the welfare system, they will invest at least the same amount of money into childcare as in the current system.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "We are working closely with the Treasury and other interested groups to ensure we get this right."