Subscribe to FeedChildcare Vouchers discussed on Radio 4 World at One programme
The World At One programme that was aired on Monday 26th October included an interview with former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt who came out against the proposal to abolish Childcare Vouchers. The link to listen to the show again on BBC iPlayer is below, but to quote:
“I’m very unhappy about this idea that we help one group of families at the expense of others. It really is robbing Peter to pay Paul.” She continues: “If you concentrate so much of your effort on those at the bottom, and do that at the expense of the middle third or more, I just think that is then wrong thing to do socially and it is also the wrong thing to do politically.”
The link is here (fast forward to 25 mins and 5 seconds):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ndlnz/World_at_One_26_10_2009/
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
Yet again, the Labour government is attempting the “rob the rich to feed the poor” type of policy forgetting that those of us in the middle are the ones who need the childcare services more than those at either end of the spectrum. Most people i know who would fall in the higher tax bracket have wives who don’t work or Nanny’s, those in lower incomes or unemployed are able to look after their children because they don’t work or have a partner who does. What about the people like me and my wife who both work hard and pay our taxes? Are we to lose benefits because of this short-sighted policy change? My current nursery for my 2 children is £800 a month for 8 mornings a week, 2 full time places would be over £1200 per month even with the little tax relief we get the cost of childcare is prohibiting both of us working full-time. We would get some relief when my eldest reaches 3 but only to the tune of 2.5 hours free each day.
There should be one simple rule – if you work, all of your childcare is tax free, we should be able to choose how much we want to sacrifice, not have it capped and eventually removed.
I agree, Childcare vouchers are the only thing that help my family with childcare costs. I pay half of my monthly income on nursery and my partner pays all of his income on bills and mortgage! We are being punished for being a family that want to work and do well in life! I have checked online and I would be much better off as a single parent and you wonder why you get benefit fraud, obviously the mps and government have far to much spare cash to understand, We are not in your boat, we are not loaded so stop taking our money to feed others that don’t want to work! its gets me furious!!!!