Free hours childcare extension 'deepens' £100k earnings cliff edge

Amid the return to school, endless colds and need to wean your children off chocolate before 8am post-Christmas, a bright spot for parents this January is that the government's extended childcare scheme has begun to be rolled out. Under Rishi Sunak the government is extending the free hours for pre-school children, which currently is broadly only for three and four-year-olds. It means that from April parents of two-year-olds will be able to claim 15 free hours at a nursery or a childminder - cutting costs for thousands of families. While the handout kicks in from April, applications open...