Nursery for under-twos costs parents in England 65% of wage
Full-time nursery for children under the age of two costs almost two-thirds of a parent’s weekly take-home pay in England, according to new analysis.
Parents in Scotland fare slightly better, paying half (51%) of one salary for childcare, while in Wales the figure is 63%, and in England 65%, according to analysis by Business in the Community (BITC), the Prince’s Responsible Business Network.
The analysis, which uses the Coram family and childcare survey results alongside Office for National Statistics (ONS) income data, shows parents in the east of England and inner London spend the greatest percentage of their take-home pay on childcare, handing over 71% of their weekly earnings.
But parents in towns and cities outside the capital also face crippling childcare costs. In Blackpool, with a median weekly take-home pay of £344, a full-time nursery place costs £238 a week or 69% of a parent’s weekly take-home pay. In Newport, Wales, the median weekly pay is £396 and nursery costs £247 or 62% of the wage packet.
Figures from the ONS show that the number of women not working to look after family has risen by 5% in the past year, the first sustained increase in at least 30 years.
The figures should be a “wake-up call”, said Katy Neep, the gender director at Business in the Community. “Childcare costs on top of rising household bills are putting working parents, particularly women, in a very difficult position. Many working women are having to decide whether working is even worth it when they look at what is left in their bank accounts after paying for childcare.”
The analysis comes as research suggests mothers are falling into debt to cover the cost of childcare, with one in 10 who responded to a survey on the website
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