To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made on the impact that the national insurance increase will have on the cost of paid-for childcare.
Answered on
11 November 2024
As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months. The department is looking at what the changes to National Insurance contributions will mean for the early years sector and will provide more details as soon as possible.
The Employment Allowance will be worth up to £10,500 for eligible providers, meaning some smaller providers may pay no National Insurance at all in the 2025/26 financial year.
The department is working at pace to publish funding rates for 2025/26 as we know how important this is for local authorities and providers.