Alliance comments on tax-free childcare rollout delay

HMRC have announced that tax-free childcare will be extended to under-6s on 24 November, and to all under 12s by March. The original plan was to extend to all under 12s by December. Commenting on the news that the full rollout of tax-free childcare to all under-12s will be delayed, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance said:

“Given the concerns over the performance of the Childcare Service website over recent months, it’s no surprise that the government has decided to delay the full rollout of tax-free childcare to ensure the system can cope with an increased volume of applications. That said, with many families still struggling with the cost of childcare, parents who had hoped to benefit from the scheme by the end of the year will be understandably disappointed by this delay. 

"With the Childcare Service system now set to service a significantly higher number of parents, it is vital that the government invests what’s needed to deliver and maintain an IT system that both parents and childcare providers are able to use and rely on.

"And of course, if the government really wants to address the rising cost of childcare for younger children, the most effective action it could take is to fund the early years sector adequately. Evidence has shown that supply-side funding is key to lowering childcare costs for parents, and it is this that the government needs to focus on if it is ever going to able to deliver on its promise to parents."

 

ENDS

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE

  • The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest and most representative early years membership organisation in England. A registered educational charity, it also provides high-quality affordable childcare and education to support children and families in areas of deprivation throughout the country.

  • The Alliance represents 14,000 member settings and supports them to deliver care and learning to more than 800,000 families every year. We deliver family learning projects, offer information and advice, produce specialist publications, run acclaimed training and accreditation schemes and campaign to influence early years policy and practice.