NewsUK NewsChildcareThe Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, will reportedly push for families on benefits to be given 30 free hours of childcare a week in a speech today05:08, 08 Jul 2026The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, will reportedly give a speech today pushing for families on benefits to be given 30 free hours of childcare a week.‌Under the current UK system only parents who are both working are usually entitled to the free childcare, which pays for nursery places for children between the ages of nine months and four years. But he education secretary warns that those who most need support are being excluded from it.‌The current childcare scheme in England is projected to cost the taxpayer about £8 billion a year by 2028. Researchers have suggested that a "universal childcare offer" would cost up to £15 billion but would boost the economy by helping parents on benefits to get back into work according to The Times.‌In a speech to be given in Oxford today Phillipson argues that there is a compelling social and economic case for a "universal early years" offer. She says: "We know that around half of all children from low-income families are missing out on formal childcare and early years."There are families out there who can't afford quality childcare because they aren't working, and they struggle to work because they can't afford quality childcare. So their children miss out on quality early years education. Where's the sense in that?‌"By extending government-funded childcare into these communities, not only would we be supporting parents into work, not only would we be supporting disadvantaged children with quality early years, but we would no longer be cutting off these families from society, no longer fostering disengagement and detachment. That's a big opportunity that we must be bold enough to take."30 hours free childcare explainedSince September 2025, all eligible families with children aged nine months to four years can access 30 hours of free childcare a week.Article continues belowIf your child is between the age of nine months and two years old, you must be earning the equivalent of the national minimum wage for 16 hours a week, on average, but less than £100,000 a year, to qualify for free childcare.All parents of three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours free childcare a week as standard, regardless of whether they are in work.Working parents with children of these ages can claim the full 30 hours if they meet the earnings criteria. The Department for Education (DfE) estimates more than 500,000 families now benefit from funded hours.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌The TimesChildcare