Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Employment lawEquality, diversity and inclusionLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessFamily-friendly working

Women MPs in revolt over plans to scrap childcare tax breaks

by Personnel Today 9 Nov 2009
by Personnel Today 9 Nov 2009

Female Labour MPs are threatening to revolt over Gordon Brown’s plans to scrap childcare tax breaks.

Senior backbenchers, including Patricia Hewitt, the former health secretary, and Caroline Flint, the former Europe minister, have protested against the government’s plans to stop tax exemptions on childcare vouchers which save parents up to £2,400 a year.

Gordon Brown announced his plans to remove the tax incentive – which currently saves employers £373 for every employee on the scheme – at the Labour Party Conference in September.

More than 74,000 people, mostly women, have already signed a petition on the Downing Street website against the plans, while almost 40 Labour MPs have signed a parliamentary motion protesting about the move.

The Labour MPs are said to be drawing up a letter to the prime minister urging him to reconsider, the Times reported.

Caroline Flint said: “This sends the wrong message to working mums. I am very worried about us taking a benefit away from a group of working women.

“We are in danger of not being seen to support working mothers, some of whom could find they are no longer able to afford to work. We need to be very clear about what we are trying to achieve here.”

Patricia Hewitt publicly labelled Brown’s proposals “the wrong thing to do socially and the wrong thing to do politically”.

She said: “We all welcome an extension of nursery education for two-year-olds, but I hope the government will think again on childcare vouchers.”

About 340,000 families claim childcare vouchers through about 35,000 employers.

The vouchers can be used to offset the cost of childcare from Ofsted-registered providers, saving higher rate taxpayers £1,195 a year, and basic rate taxpayers £962 a year. Both parents can use the vouchers, saving couples up to £2,390 a year.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Under government plans the tax relief on childcare vouchers would be stopped by 2015, with the money saved being used to fund free nursery care for 250,000 two-year olds.

A Downing Street source added: “It is not being as well targeted as it should. We believe it is right to redirect the money at nursery places for two-year-olds.”

Personnel Today

previous post
40% of fines for employing illegal workers not paid
next post
My mentor: Victoria Woodison, HR director, UK and Ireland, Gate Gourmet

You may also like

Man who juggled four council jobs guilty of...

18 Jul 2025

House of Lords votes against day-one dismissal rights

18 Jul 2025

Government launches call for evidence on unpaid internships

18 Jul 2025

Hospitality made up 45% of latest job losses

18 Jul 2025

‘Window of opportunity’ to avert resident doctor strikes

18 Jul 2025

Jaguar Land Rover to lose 500 management roles

18 Jul 2025

Gender pay gaps narrow in 2024-25

17 Jul 2025

UK job vacancies fall to a 10-year low

17 Jul 2025

Zero-hours employees may have to request guaranteed hours

17 Jul 2025

How to avoid the ‘Netflix effect’ in learning...

17 Jul 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+