According to the research by Trades Union Congress (TUC), childcare fees for under twos have risen by £185 a month, or £2,200 a year, since the Conservatives took power.
The average annual nursery bill for a family with a child under two was £4,992 in 2010. In 2021, it had risen to £7,212 – an increase of 44 per cent - making the UK the country with the second highest childcare costs among leading economies, according to the OECD.
The analysis, which is based on data from Coram Family and Childcare, also warns that mothers are caught in a ‘catch- 22’ with childcare costs rising and statutory maternity pay falling in real value.
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