Commenting, Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Education, commenting on Save the Children’s new report – Improving childcare for disadvantaged families through Universal Credit, said:

“Under the Tories, it is the families who most need help with childcare who are unable to access it. Those on the lowest incomes cannot access 30 hours of free childcare and face thousands of pounds in upfront bills to access childcare through Universal Credit.

“There is simply no justification for those families that most need this support being locked out of the system. This simply entrenches inequality, makes it harder for children to succeed, and leaves parents, mostly mothers, unable to return to work. “Labour will ensure that everyone can access the childcare that they need, with 30 hours of free childcare a week for all 2, 3, and 4-year-olds, and additional subsidised care to ensure that no family is unable to access the support that they need.”