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star this property registered interest false more like this
star this property date less than 2019-07-19more like thismore than 2019-07-19
star this property answering body
Department for Work and Pensions more like this
star this property answering dept id 29 more like this
star this property answering dept short name Work and Pensions more like this
star this property answering dept sort name Work and Pensions more like this
star this property hansard heading Universal Credit more like this
unstar this property house id 1 more like this
star this property legislature
25259
star this property pref label House of Commons more like this
star this property question text To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the statement in the press release by Save the Children on 3 July 2019, that 30,000 families on universal credit face paying up to £800 in childcare costs this summer. more like this
star this property tabling member constituency Liverpool, West Derby more like this
star this property tabling member printed
Stephen Twigg more like this
star this property uin 279359 more like this
star this property answer
answer
star this property is ministerial correction false more like this
star this property date of answer less than 2019-07-23more like thismore than 2019-07-23
star this property answer text <p>The Department listens to a range of stakeholders and considers recommendations, such as those from Save the Children’s recent report, that may improve support for our claimants. We have already improved Universal Credit’s (UC) childcare support; for example, our Work Coaches are already providing increased support through the Flexible Support Fund to help eligible claimants who need help with paying upfront childcare costs, as well as allowing greater flexibility in when claimants can report their childcare costs.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As UC is paid as a single monthly amount directly into people’s bank accounts, it helps families have control over their own budget and making the move into work easier. However, we recognise that childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to both obtain and maintain employment and we are committed to removing barriers that prevent parents moving into work.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants are able to claim up to 85% of their childcare costs on UC, compared to 70% on the legacy system. This can be worth up to £13,000 a year for families with two children. The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare and, during 2019/20, a record amount of £6 billion is being spent on childcare support overall. This offer means that reasonable childcare costs should not form a barrier to work.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We are aware of the difficulty that some claimants might have in paying childcare costs over the summer holidays and our work coaches are able to discuss this with them and explain and promote both the UC childcare offer and the wider government childcare offer. In addition to this, budgeting advances are available for eligible claimants that can be used to cover the cost of paying additional upfront childcare cost or a deposit that might be needed during the school holidays.</p>
star this property answering member constituency Colchester more like this
star this property answering member printed Will Quince more like this
star this property question first answered
less than 2019-07-23T11:10:11.957Zmore like thismore than 2019-07-23T11:10:11.957Z
star this property answering member
4423
star this property label Biography information for Will Quince more like this
unstar this property tabling member
167
unstar this property label Biography information for Stephen Twigg more like this