Fund 30 hours free childcare from age 1 for families where both parents work
The Parliament petitions site records 157,591 signatures for this petition, which closed on 13 April 2023. The Government responded on 25 November 2022.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Fund 30 hours free childcare from age 1 for families where both parents work
There is often no benefit for both parents to work when childcare costs so much. My wife is working 20 hours a week on just over minimum wage which just covers childcare. Extending free childcare where both parents work would mean working families could better benefit from their employment.
Up the 30 free hours to the age of 1 from 3 for working families. This should encourage more parents to work. This in turn will bring in more tax and should encourage more spending.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 25 November 2022; the petitions site lists the Department for Education as responsible. Its summary:
The government is not currently planning to extend 30 hours free childcare. We support working parents through a range of childcare offers, including Universal Credit and Tax-Free Childcare.
The opening 339 words of the 693-word response:
Education and early years policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is devolved. The 30 hours free childcare offer in England aims to support working families of 3- and 4-year-olds with the cost of childcare and to help parents back into work or work more hours should they wish to. We are not currently planning an extension to this early years entitlement.
The government recognises the impact that cost of living pressures are having on families. In England, we have spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past three years on our early education entitlements to support families with the cost of childcare. Improving the cost, choice and availability of childcare for working parents is important for this government and we are exploring a wide range of options to achieve this.
In July, we announced measures to increase take-up of childcare support to ensure that families can access government support to save them money on their childcare bills. You can view the full announcement online at: Drive to reduce the cost of childcare for parents - (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/drive-to-reduce-the-cost-of-childcare-for-parents)
We are running a communications drive to encourage parents to take up the government childcare offers that they are entitled to. Parents are encouraged to visit https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ for further information on the offers available.
All 3- and 4-year-olds are eligible for the 15-hour free entitlement regardless of their parents’ circumstances. This is available the term after a child turns 3 and is available for 38 weeks a year during term time. Parents can stretch their child’s entitlement by taking fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year (hours cannot be compressed into fewer than 38 weeks per year).
On top of this universal entitlement, an additional 15 hours (often known as ‘30 hours’ childcare) is available to parents who earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum/living wage, and under £100,000 per year. This means that parents can be eligible if they earn from just over £7,900 per year, or £152 a week.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 618, came from Knowsley.
157,426 of the signatures were from the UK and 165 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Knowsley | 618 |
| North East Bedfordshire | 549 |
| Coventry North West | 534 |
| Portsmouth North | 531 |
| Hartlepool | 518 |
| Leigh | 518 |
| South West Devon | 511 |
| Mid Bedfordshire | 510 |
| Wantage | 509 |
| Plymouth, Moor View | 504 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 23,824 |
| North West | 22,192 |
| East of England | 15,655 |
| South West | 14,914 |
| London | 14,897 |
| West Midlands | 14,692 |
| East Midlands | 13,410 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 13,275 |
| North East | 8,250 |
| Scotland | 7,289 |
| Wales | 6,676 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,104 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on .
The Petitions Committee's summary of the debate:
The Petitions Committee has decided not to schedule a debate on this petition, because the Government has agreed to implement its central request.
At the 2023 Budget the Government announced that from September 2025, working parents of children under the age of five will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week.
Find out more about the Government's plans to expand eligibility for free childcare: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/16/budget-2023-everything-you-need-to-know-about-childcare-support/
MPs discussed support for childcare and the early years, including the Government's plans to extend entitlements to 30 hours free childcare, on Monday 16 October.
Read a transcript of the debate on support for childcare and the early years: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-10-16/debates/33DE9895-22BA-4197-B4A1-D39A20AF5500/EarlyYearsChildcare
Watch the debate on support for childcare and the early years: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/34c6780e-874a-42b9-9458-348112831866?in=20:51:37
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/624461.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
8673968f71ee7e24… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.