PETITIONClosedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Base childcare support for working parents on household income
We suggest basing eligibility for childcare support for working parents on household income, rather than individual income.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
74
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 74/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 74/100,000
Background
Compare these two families under the current rules:
Family A) Two parents each earning £95k = £190k total household income → 30 free childcare hours
Family B) One parent earning £105k, the other £40k = £145k total household income → no childcare help
We believe that this isn’t just illogical — it’s unjust. We think it risks trapping many parents (mostly mothers) in unemployment, as without any support, childcare costs can exceed their income — all because one parent earns "too much."