UK Conservatives Propose £700m Childcare Plan for High Earners
The UK Conservatives unveiled a childcare plan for high earners. They shared it the day before their conference in Birmingham, England.
The plan would cost £700m a year. It would end the £100,000 childcare cliff edge.
Under current rules in England families can get 30 free hours of childcare a week. That support ends if either parent earns more than £100,000.
This is true whatever the other parent earns. Under the plan parents could still claim support above that pay level.
Parents would need to work at least 16 hours a week. The party said it would pay for the plan by cutting jobs at arm's-length bodies.
These include Arts Council England and the Environment Agency. Kemi Badenoch said people earning over £100,000 should not be discouraged from working more. She said people who work harder should not be punished for it.
Key Terms 3
- cliff edge A sudden loss of support when income goes just above a set limit.
- arm's-length bodies Public groups paid for by the state but run apart from it.
- Conservatives A major UK political party led by Kemi Badenoch.