Parents in Inner London and the East of England are faring the worst
(Picture: PA Wire)Parents in inner London spend an average of 71 per cent of their weekly earnings on childcare for children under two, according to new analysis.
Across England, full-time nursery for children under the age of two costs almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of a parent’s weekly take-home pay, analysis by Business in the Community (BITC), the Prince’s Responsible Business Network has shown.
Inner London and the East of England fare worst of all UK regions, with parents spending almost three-quarters of their weekly wage (71 per cent) on childcare.
For full-time nursery care, inner-Londoners are paying £368.73 per week — 36 per cent more than the average across Britain of £269.86.
The data, which uses the Coram family and childcare survey results alongside Office for National Statistics (ONS) income data, shows parents in Scotland fare slightly better, paying half (51 per cent) of one salary for childcare, while in Wales the figure is 63 per cent.
This comes alongside figures from the ONS showing that the number of women not working to look after family has risen by five per cent in the past year, the first sustained increase in at least 30 years.
The data 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 workingmums.co.uk saying they are in £20,000 or more worth of debt.
Mandy Garner, a spokeswoman for workingmums.co.uk, told the Standard: “Our annual survey shows many mums need to earn more as their salaries are not going up in line with inflation and many are carrying a large amount of debt. Yet rising childcare costs often prevent them from doing so.
“If the Government is serious about growth, it needs to invest in the care infrastructure that enables many people in the UK to work.”
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 — 69 per cent of a parent’s weekly take-home pay.
In Newport, Wales, the median weekly pay is £396 and nursery costs £247 — 62 per cent of the wage packet.
Earlier this year, only 59 per cent of local authorities reported having enough childcare available for parents working full time, down from 68 per cent last year, which is limiting many parents’ ability to work.
Pressure is growing for the Government to help parents with childcare costs, as the cost-of-living crisis hits.
More than 10,000 mothers and families are expected to join author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the actors Bronagh Waugh and Sarah Solemani on the UK-wide March of the Mummies on 29 October.
Celia Venables, a spokeswoman from Pregnant Then Screwed, told the Standard: “We need an urgent intervention where the childcare sector is concerned, enough is enough.
“[This] is why we and 10,000 mothers are protesting on October 29 — mothers are demanding change.”
