Millions of parents are set to benefit from free childcare after a major budget announcement. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed working parents in England would benefit from 30 hours of free childcare per week for all children aged between nine months and five years old.
Previously, it had only been available to parents of children aged three or four. The Chancellor announced 30 hours of free childcare for all under-fives from the moment maternity care ends, where eligible.
Jeremy Hunt told the Commons: "I today announce that in eligible households where all adults are working at least 16 hours, we will introduce 30 hours of free childcare not just for three and four-year-olds, but for every single child over the age of nine months. The 30 hours offer will now start from the moment maternity or paternity leave ends.
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"It's a package worth on average £6,500 every year for a family with a two-year-old child using 35 hours of childcare every week and reduces their childcare costs by nearly 60%. Because it is such a large reform, we will introduce it in stages to ensure there is enough supply in the market.
"Working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free care from April 2024, helping around half a million parents. From September 2024, that 15 hours will be extended to all children from 9 months up, meaning a total of nearly one million parents will be eligible. And from September 2025 every single working parent of under 5s will have access to 30 hours free childcare per week."
He also announced that the fuel duty will be frozen for the 13th year in a row and that four million households will see energy bills slashed as prepay customers will no longer pay more than direct debit households.
There will also be a ramping-up of sanctions for claimants who do not look for or take up employment.
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