Conservatives failing parents as childcare costs rapidly outstrip inflation
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Labour has criticised the Conservatives for failing parents after
new analysis revealed that the cost of childcare has risen a third
faster than inflation since 2010, with families thousands of pounds
worse off than when Labour last left office. In 2010, the average
cost of a part-time nursery place was £82. Since then, the average
cost has ballooned by 80% and now sits at around £146 a week. That
means the average family is paying more than £5,500 a year for
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Labour has criticised the Conservatives for failing parents after new analysis revealed that the cost of childcare has risen a third faster than inflation since 2010, with families thousands of pounds worse off than when Labour last left office. In 2010, the average cost of a part-time nursery place was £82. Since then, the average cost has ballooned by 80% and now sits at around £146 a week. That means the average family is paying more than £5,500 a year for part-time childcare during term-time, an increase of £2,400 compared to 2010. Since 2017 alone, the average annual cost has increased by around £1,200. As Conservative chaos has driven the economy into recession, families face further price hikes from April 2024, with nurseries warning that inflation, increasing staff pay and other rising costs will force them to put up prices for parents. At the same time, workers have seen their pay fall, with wages £12 per week lower in real terms than in 2008. The cost of a full-time nursery place is also rapidly increasing. Since 2017, the average cost of a place has increased by more than £70 per week, and in 2023 reached £283.95, meaning households are paying around £9,000 a year for term-time places. For a couple earning the average wage, the UK is the third-most expensive country for childcare in the world. Labour's analysis, which tracks annual average nursery costs against the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reinforces the financial burden currently felt by many households. The analysis comes as the Conservatives' childcare promises have been beset by problems, with childcare experts regularly warning that the sector lacks the resources to deliver ministers' plans for the expansion of funded hours, with an estimated 100,000 additional staff required to meet the full 30-hours pledge. Last month, it was reported that thousands of furious parents were struggling to sign up for the scheme, which is scheduled to start in less than two months. In stark contrast to the chaos of the Tories' childcare offer, Labour has commissioned an expert Early Years Review. Tasked with setting out ways to improve childcare provision and ensure early education is available in every corner of the country, the review is being chaired by the former chief inspector of Ofsted Sir David Bell. Commenting, Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, said: "Families are forking out thousands of pounds for childcare, all the while being sold a shoddy plan by a Conservative Government that hasn't the first clue of how to deliver it. "Families deserve so much better, which is why Labour has commissioned a full, expert-led early years review to examine how we expand access to the flexible childcare that meets families' needs without breaking their finances. "The choice couldn't be starker. A clapped out Tory Government that has failed families for 14 years, or a Labour Party that is ready to reform childcare so it’s accessible for families right across the country." ENDS Editor's notes
Source: ONS - Inflation and Price Indices (Time Series)
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