Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 66
There are a wide range of childcare support schemes available to people claiming Universal Credit,...
Conclusion
There are a wide range of childcare support schemes available to people claiming Universal Credit, all with different eligibility criteria and application systems. We heard in this inquiry that it continues to be very difficult for parents to understand what the best childcare option for them is, and how this might change with their circumstances.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the difficulty for parents to understand childcare options, and states that the awareness campaign continues and there is a wide variety of information that covers all the Government childcare offers on the Childcare Choice website. The government does not agree that developing specific calculations on payments for UC childcare would be beneficial.
Paragraph Reference:
66
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The campaign to raise awareness of the cross-government childcare offers continues to drive positive engagement with parents who could benefit from more support. We will undertake a full evaluation at the end of this campaign period. There is also a wide variety of information that covers all the Government childcare offers on the Childcare Choice website. This is a valuable tool for parents and acts as a platform to additional information. The UC section provides the link to an ‘independent benefits calculator’ that helps a claimant identify what they could be entitled to. There is also access via a link to the Gov.uk website that provides full information on the UC childcare offer. The Department does not agree with the Committee that developing specific calculations on payments for UC childcare would be beneficial for claimants and feel that it could be misleading as there are several variables involved within the UC calculation, with childcare costs often fluctuating from month to month. We encourage frequent conversation with the claimant’s Work Coach or Case Manager either in person or raised via their journal. Universal Credit and childcare costs: Government Response 9