Petition · Department for Education
Base childcare support for working parents on household income
Closed
74 signatures
What the petition asks
We suggest basing eligibility for childcare support for working parents on household income, rather than individual income.
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."
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."
Timeline
| 2 May 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 2 Nov 2025 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
74
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
2 May 2025
Closed
2 Nov 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 16 Aug 2026.