Children: Day Care
(asked on 23rd May 2022) - View Source
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide a breakdown of the proportion of eligible households that take up tax free childcare in each (a) region and (b) nation of the UK.
As a proportion of all families who were eligible for tax-free childcare (TFC) and had qualifying childcare, the estimated take-up rate in the UK in March 2022 was 30%, corresponding to 384,280 families. Across the 2021-22 year, 40% of eligible families (512,415) used TFC.
Take-up of TFC varies by region, as shown below. Use of TFC tends to be greater in regions with higher populations, such as London and South East England. However, over 2021-22 the estimated take-up rate is highest in the South West of England at 49% and lowest in Scotland at 26%.
Region/Country | Estimated no. families eligible for TFC in 2021-22 | No users (and estimated % take up) in March 2022 | No users (and estimated % take up) in 2021-22 |
United Kingdom | 1,270,000 | 384,280 (30%) | 512,415 (40%) |
England | 1,070,000 | 336,150 (31%) | 450,395 (42%) |
North East | 40,000 | 13,040 (33%) | 17,425 (44%) |
North West | 140,000 | 50,095 (36%) | 65,620 (47%) |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 100,000 | 33,605 (34%) | 44,010 (44%) |
East Midlands | 90,000 | 30,915 (34%) | 40,530 (45%) |
West Midlands | 100,000 | 33,695 (34%) | 44,575 (45%) |
East of England | 140,000 | 37,755 (27%) | 51,460 (37%) |
London | 170,000 | 39,220 (23%) | 54,285 (32%) |
South East | 200,000 | 61,265 (31%) | 83,305 (42%) |
South West | 100,000 | 36,555 (37%) | 49,185 (49%) |
Wales | 60,000 | 13,575 (23%) | 17,825 (30%) |
Scotland | 110,000 | 22,710 (21%) | 29,110 (26%) |
Northern Ireland | 30,000 | 9,070 (30%) | 11,050 (37%) |