{"value":{"id":1601596,"askingMemberId":4244,"askingMember":null,"house":"Commons","memberHasInterest":false,"dateTabled":"2023-03-06T00:00:00","dateForAnswer":"2023-03-09T00:00:00","uin":"158927","questionText":"To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that the cost of childcare does not lead to parents leaving the workforce.","answeringBodyId":29,"answeringBodyName":"Department for Work and Pensions","isWithdrawn":false,"isNamedDay":true,"groupedQuestions":[],"answerIsHolding":false,"answerIsCorrection":false,"answeringMemberId":4142,"answeringMember":null,"correctingMemberId":null,"correctingMember":null,"dateAnswered":"2023-03-09T00:00:00","answerText":"<p>The Secretary of State speaks to cabinet colleagues on a regular basis.</p><p> </p><p>Financial help with childcare is already there for low-income families. Eligible Universal Credit (UC) claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month regardless of the number of hours they work.</p><p> </p><p>The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer in England such that UC childcare costs can be used to top up a claimant’s eligible free childcare hours if more hours are worked and childcare required. In addition, there is the 15/30 hours of tax-free childcare. This means that for many claimants, childcare costs should not present any barriers to entering or remaining in work.</p>","originalAnswerText":"","comparableAnswerText":"","dateAnswerCorrected":null,"dateHoldingAnswer":null,"attachmentCount":0,"heading":"Childcare: Fees and Charges","attachments":[],"groupedQuestionsDates":[]},"links":[{"rel":"self","href":"/Questions/1601596","method":"GET"}]}