CHILDCARE reforms announced in the Budget this year will support low-earning parents on Universal Credit in Basingstoke and across the country to get into work while being more confident that they can afford childcare costs.

Parents on Universal Credit can now claim up to £951 a month for one child or £1,630 for two or more children.

Basingstoke's MP Maria Miller has welcomed the news.

She said: "One of the biggest barriers for parents in either getting into work or taking on more hours is the cost of childcare, which can be huge. This situation disproportionately affects women, so having proper childcare support in place is key to both growing the economy and furthering gender equality.

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"The Government has listened to parents struggling with growing childcare costs. Eligible parents on Universal Credit can now get up to £522 more a month, giving them more flexibility in their careers and family life."

The Government will also help cover the costs for the first month of childcare when eligible parents enter work or increase their hours so that, from that point, parents should have the money to pay one month in advance rather than being stuck with upfront costs. This will be done by getting 85 per cent of those costs back before the next bill is due.

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There are just over 2,300 people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Basingstoke, some of who could benefit under this childcare costs scheme.

From April 2024 there will be 15 free hours of childcare available for working parents of two-year-olds, followed by 15 free hours from nine months in September 2024, and finally 30 free hours from nine months to the start of school from September 2025.