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Parents to save thousands in government cost of living support

ended 28. August 2025

A week out from the start of the new school term, the government claims to have delivered a boost for families by investing more to cover the cost of childcare fees in term time and school holidays.  

Parents using the 30 hours can save up to £7,500 a year, which can be better spent on quality family time and comes as a massive salve for parents who have been struggling with the cost-of-living pressure that we inherited.   

But ministers are urging families to apply within the next three days, or risk losing out on this generational offer from this September. 

The scheme – which covers children from 9 months until reception – will support more children to be ‘school-ready’ and set them up to achieve better results in school. That delivers a key priority in the Plan for Change – to give children the best start in life.  

This comes as £600 million is also being invested to extend the Holiday Activities and Food programme for another three years. This supports children from lower-income families by providing free meals and enriching activities during school holidays. It helps close the development gap, boosts confidence and social skills, and has already reached over half a million children in the past year.  

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme helps parents to make savings of over £300 a year.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:  “Giving every child the Best Start in Life is my number one priority, which is why we are delivering on our commitment to provide hundreds of thousands of children with 30 hours government-funded early education. Whether it’s to save up to £7,500 a year, support parents to get back to work or reduce the pressure on grandparents who so often have to step in, the benefits are widespread. The offer is just around the corner, and so I’m urging every eligible parent who wants it, to take it up.”

Any thoughts, by 09:00 PLEASE.

2 responses from the Newspage community

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Childcare support is welcome, but leaving out middle-income families risks punishing the very people driving the economy.

This is good news not just for parents but for employers, especially small businesses, who often have to accommodate staff taking time off in school holidays simply because of childcare pressures.

The catch is that support is targeted only at the lowest-income families, when paradoxically it’s often those just above the threshold who struggle most with childcare costs. That also hits good employers who lose staff time and productivity.

If we’re serious about boosting growth, schemes like this need to be expanded to middle-income families too. It would ease pressure on households and give employers a more reliable workforce.
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We recently wrote a blog on these momentous changes for parents, and the new 30 hour allowance should really allow parents to get back to work. It’s key to apply now if parents want this benefit to start in September and there’s a great website to check your eligibility.

https://www.matherandmurray.co.uk/big-changes-ahead-for-childcare-funding-whats-coming-in-september-2025/