Expert analysis from Dr Steve McCabe as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt vows to “Get Britain back to work”.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced a series of measures in his first big Budget, aimed at boosting growth and getting people back into work.
One of the major announcements was the provision of 30 hours of free childcare a week for parents of one and two-year-olds, a move that could help with the cost of living and encourage parents to return to work. Currently, families with young children do not receive support after parental leave ends and before free nursery hours are offered for three and four-year-olds. The UK has some of the highest childcare costs in the world, with full-time fees for a child under two at nursery averaging £269 a week.
