UK Government Announces Major Boost to Free Childcare in Budget

The UK government is expected to expand free childcare to cover one and two-year-olds in Wednesday's Budget, as part of a drive to encourage more people back to work and boost economic growth. Currently, working parents with three and four-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week. The plans are expected to cost several billion pounds but could raise up to £10bn in further revenue by increasing the number of parents able to work. The rising cost of childcare has been widely seen as a deterrent for some parents to go back to work or work full time.