DC on making childcare more affordable

Prime Minister David Cameron writes:

"This Government faces tough choices in clearing up Labour's mess and getting this country standing tall again. But we've always been clear that we'll do everything we can to make life easier for Britain's families.
        

That's why we're determined to make childcare more affordable. We need to help parents who get up early, work hard and then find their income eaten away by fees for nurseries or childminders. And we also need to help people who just can't afford to work, because it's too expensive to pay someone to look after their children.

So today we've announced radical plans to cut childcare costs for parents from 2015:

	We're going to pay 20 per cent of your bill every year, up to £1,200 per child. That effectively gives you back your tax for childcare costs.
	We'll begin by helping those with children under 5 - then year by year we'll extend it until all children under 12 are covered.
	It's for families where both parents work. But don't worry if you're a working single mum or dad, it absolutely applies to you as well.

The bold action we've announced here comes on top of a number of other things we're doing to help people with the cost of living. We've cut tax for 24 million people, stopped Labour's fuel duty rises, frozen council tax for 3 years and are forcing energy companies to put their customers on the lowest available tariff.

Most people I meet don't expect the Government to wave a magic wand. They know the deep problems Labour left us. But they do expect us to back them if they work hard to build a better life for themselves and their children: to make things just a little bit easier.

This announcement on childcare today shows we're doing just that."