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Childcare cost rising quickly in UK

Cost of childcare has become so high that it doesn't pay for families to work any more.

The cost of childcare in UK is rising so quickly for many families that it simply does not pay to work anymore. Instead they prefer to stay at home to look after their children.

According to a survey by the Family and Childcare Trust in their annual Childcare Cost Survey 2015, the cost of sending a toddler to nursery part-time has risen by around a third over the past five years, with parents now forced to pay an average of £6,000 a year – £1,533 more than in 2010.

Despite heavy government spending on childcare, gaps in provision are also increasing, the survey found. In addition, for the first time, Britain’s poorest families have to find substantial sums to make up the shortfall between part-time childcare costs and the maximum amount of help they can claim under working tax credits.

“The cost of living in the UK has risen considerably and continues to rise and of course it’s not matching the salaries. So, expensive childcare for families, transports, and mortgages are going out but of course the salaries more or less have not really risen considerably,” London-based journalist, Hafsa Kara-Mustapha told Press TV.

He noted that given the current trend, it is no more worthwhile to continue to work. “When the money you managed to save in fact and put aside is not very considerable, therefore it doesn't make working long hours taking transport time away from the family worthwhile given the very little profit you make out at the end of the day,” he noted.

Kara-Mustapha referred to report released by the government agencies on family aid saying the reports are aimed to gain further political achievements in the upcoming elections. 

“I think the government’s announcements generate positive headlines in particular at a time that it is actually facing negative press...therefore it comes out with these things to appear to the average voter at a time when we are nearing general election.” 

JAS/MH


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