Parents ‘saving thousands less’ on childcare than government claims, says study

Parents are saving thousands less per year on
free childcare
than the government claimed they would, according to a new study.

Research by prominent campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed found the average saving from the new 15 hours of funded childcare for two-year-olds each week will be up to £1,440 a year – substantially lower than the £6,500 a year the government estimated parents would save when the
provision
has finished being rolled out.

Research by prominent campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed found that the average saving from the new 15 hours of funded childcare for two-year-olds each week will be up to £1,440 a year – substantially lower than the £6,500 a year the government estimated parents would save once the rollout of the
provision
is complete.

The study discovered that parents eligible for the new provision will still find it hard to afford childcare due to the recent surge in costs.

A quarter of parents say they will save less than £90 a month, while a fifth say they will be saving less than £50 a month.

Joeli Brearley, chief executive and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “Once again, parents are picking up the government’s tab due to underfunding.