A quarter of new mothers are returning to work earlier than they want to because of the new childcare benefit starting this September
A third of parents have been notified to expect price increases to cover the short-fall in funding from the government for this scheme
DATE: 22nd August, 2024; A new survey from Pregnant Then Screwed of 3,658 parents eligible for the new government-funded childcare for children from 9 months starting in September has found that almost half (47%) of those on maternity leave are facing issues with the scheme, whilst a third say it is influencing when they return to work from maternity leave.
A quarter of mothers on maternity leave (26%) have been told that they cannot apply for the ‘free’ hours, even though they are eligible for the scheme and will be returning to work soon. A further 11% have been told they are not eligible, even though they believe they meet the criteria.
Of the respondents, 835 were on maternity leave, with a third (35%) saying the scheme has impacted when they return to work. A Quarter (28%) say they are returning to work earlier than they would have liked to, while 7% say they will return later than they would have liked to so that they can fit in with the scheme’s start date.
The Government’s ‘’free hours’’ scheme is set up in such a way that you can only access it the term after your child turns 9 months. As parental leave pay is so poor in this country, it means many new families are struggling financially, so they are likely to adapt their behaviour to fit with the benefit system, even if it isn’t what is best for mother or child.
Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, comments, “Maternity leave is a hugely sensitive and important time, yet our research finds that the new childcare benefit is forcing many mothers to return to work before they are ready. This could have an adverse impact on women and their careers. We know that if women return to work before they are ready, they are more likely to underperform and to ultimately leave their job. We doubt this was an anticipated outcome of the scheme, but that’s because no one in Government appears to be looking at the holistic experiences of new families.’’
The survey also looked at cost increases with a-third (33%) of parents saying they have already been notified to expect costs, outside the funded hours, to increase over the next six months. Just 1 in 4 parents (23%) say that their provider doesn’t charge any additional fees on top of the funded hours – with almost a third (30%) saying they pay at least £10 a day, and 7% of parents saying they pay £30 a day on consumables.
Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, comments, “Parents are hugely disappointed that the savings from this scheme are not as much as they anticipated. Nurseries don’t want to charge parents more, they have to, otherwise, they run the risk of closure. Until the funding from the Government matches the cost to deliver places we will continue to see many families unable to afford the childcare they need to survive and thrive.’’
The good news is that the vast majority of parents have found a place for their child that will offer the new benefit, with 94% saying this is their first-choice provider.
ENDS
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About the research:
Pregnant Then Screwed surveyed 3,149 parents who are eligible for the new 9-month funding from 1st September 2024. The survey ran from 12 – 19th August.
A Third (33%) of parents say they have already been notified to expect costs outside the funded hours to increase in the next 6 months
Three-quarters of parents say their provider charges a consumables charge on top of the funded hours. With almost a third (30%) saying they pay at least £10 a day
7% are paying upwards of £30 a day on consumables charges
534 women who are currently on maternity leave and their child is eligible for the new funding starting in September.
Of those A Third (35% or 189 women) say this scheme has had an impact on when they return to work with 7% (37 women) saying they will return later than planned and a Quarter (28% or 152 women) saying they will return earlier than planned.
But those on maternity leave also seem to behaving more issues with applying for the scheme. Only 53% of those on maternity leave say they have had no issues with applying for the funded childcare.
A quarter (26%) say they have been told they can’t apply even though they are eligible and are returning to work soon.
Whilst a further 11% say they have been told they are not eligible even though they believe they meet the criteria
The good news is that 89% of respondents overall say they now have their code to apply for the funding.
94% say they are able to use their first choice provider access this funding, which is far better than was feared
