Poll: Has the Chancellor done enough for young families?

Published: 4:14 PM March 20, 2013

Updated: 3:11 PM October 11, 2020

Will help with childcare costs reduce the strain on grandparents?

HELP with childcare and a freeze on fuel duty will give working families a helping hand during this tough economic situation, but the Chancellor could have done more claims one of the region’s leading children’s charity.

Geoff Prescott, chief executive of Ormiston Children & Families Trust, said: “There are parts of the Budget 2013 that we welcome, but children are the future of this country and they should be invested in and their parents should be supported.

“There are a few measures announced by the Chancellor that do this, but it doesn’t go far enough for us.”

He continued: “There’s been some controversy about the new childcare arrangements but the principle of making childcare easier to pay for has to be supported, it’s a very good thing. However, we shouldn’t neglect the fact that both parents might not want to go out to work. We must support this choice rather than punish it.”

Mr Prescott also praised the freeze on fuel duty - a move designed to appease transport firms and long-distance commuters.

He said: “When you mention the word ‘fuel’ you don’t immediately think of children and families, but I think this is the proposal that have the most impact people’s lives. The cost of fuel, whether taking children to school or the doctors, or having a social life, is completely different to urban areas.

“In 2010 the Rowntree Trust found that a family of four living in rural areas like Suffolk needed £42,000 to have a basic standard of life, whereas a family living in an urban area would need £28,000. So anything to help fuel costs in rural areas should be welcomed.”