Under plans to extend free childcare provision from 15 hours to 30 hours per week, only families where both parents work 16 hours a week, or sole parents in a single-parent household working 16 hours a week, will qualify for 30 hours of free care.
Childcare minister Caroline Dinenage revealed this meant less than half of the current number of children claiming 15 hours would be eligible for 30 hours.
In response to a parliamentary question, she said of the 910,000 children currently receive 15 funded hours, only 390,000 (42.9 per cent) would qualify for 30 hours. This means 520,000 children (57.1 per cent) will not be entitled to it.
All three-and four-year-olds will continue to be entitled to 15 hours a week of free childcare irrespective of whether or not they qualify for the additional provision.
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