What is the plan for 30 hours of free childcare and how will it work?

The UK has some of the world's most expensive childcare.

Extra help for some parents has been announced by the government.

In the Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said 30 free hours of childcare per week will be for children aged nine months and above in England.

It will be phased in for households where the parent or parents work:

Other measures include:

Each staff member in England will also be allowed to look after five two-year-olds - up from four now - if providers wish to do so.

When this was first proposed, the government said it could save parents up to 15% - about £40 a week for a family paying £265 for 50 hours of nursery care.

However, at the time, the Early Years Alliance - which represents about 14,000 childcare providers - said it risked "severely compromising the safety and quality of care".

Mr Hunt also said the government would work with local authorities to ensure all schools in England will be able to offer wraparound care between 08:00 and 18:00 by September 2026.

At the moment all three and four-year-olds are entitled to some free childcare throughout the UK. Different schemes operate in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It must be delivered by officially-registered providers.

In England, all three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare per week in term time, or 38 weeks a year. Free hours can be used in some private nurseries or state-run pre-schools.

Children of eligible working parents are entitled to 30 free hours per week. Both parents must earn at least £152 per week on average to qualify.

At the moment two-year-olds in England can also have 15 hours of free childcare under certain circumstances, for example if the family receives universal credit.

Free hours are available the term after the child reaches the relevant age.

Not all private nurseries offer free hours, and some charge parents for extras on top, such as nappies or snacks.

Under the tax-free childcare scheme, the government pays £2 for every £8 families contribute, up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year (£4,000 for disabled children).

The money can be used for approved childcare including childminders, nurseries, nannies, and after-school clubs. It can be used alongside free childcare hours if parents qualify for both.

To be eligible, a parent and their partner each need to earn (on average) at least £152 a week but less than £100,000 a year.

Families claiming universal credit who aren't using the tax-free childcare scheme can claim back up to 85% of childcare costs.

Parents under 20 in England, who are at school or sixth form college, can also receive weekly payments under the Care to Learn scheme. They can get £160 per child a week if they live outside London, or £175 inside the capital.

It depends on the age of the child, the number of hours and the type of care they receive.

The average cost of full-time nursery (50 hours a week) for a child under two in Britain is nearly £15,000 a year, according to the charity Coram. The cost of a childminder for equivalent care is nearly £13,000.

The UK is the third most expensive country for childcare among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), behind Switzerland and New Zealand.

Its figures are based on a family with two children aged two and three attending nursery for at least 40 hours a week, taking into account state support.

There are no official figures on how many women no longer work because of childcare costs.

However, data from the Office for National Statistics shows that about 1.5 million women don't work due to caring responsibilities.

A 2022 survey by the Pregnant then Screwed charity reported that 43% of mothers said the cost of childcare had made them consider leaving their job. Two-fifths worked fewer hours than they wanted.

The Women's Budget Group - a network of women's organisations, policy experts and academics - estimates that 1.7m women in England can't take on more hours of paid work due to childcare costs.