Tories give £2k to rich parents

Handout will help private school pupils

THE Tories’ childcare discount scheme will give rich families generous payouts – even if their kids are at private schools.

The change gives parents earning up to £100,000 each a 20% saving on the money they spend on childcare.

This includes the cost of breakfast clubs and holiday or after-school clubs. Fee-paying schools qualify.

For a parent to claim the maximum allowance of £2,000 per child they would have to spend £10,000 on care.

It means those with the biggest pockets will get the most back.

Labour’s Peter Dowd said: “It’s shocking. The Government is seeking to give thousands of pounds to the richest families so they can send their children to private school, while state education funding is slashed. This is another handout to the wealthy by this Government for the few.”

More than 500,000 children were attending private school in 2017.

The Tax-free Childcare scheme, which rolls out nationally next month, gives back up to £500 every three months per child aged under 12.

But it comes as funding for state education is slashed. Theresa May has been accused of empty promises to properly fund schools after two in her own constituency sent out begging letters for basic equipment.

Mr Dowd added: “The Government must exclude private school fees from subsidy and invest in our education system so it works for the many.”

The Government said its budget for state schools was the highest ever, at £41billion. The Treasury insisted: “Tax-free Childcare will cut bills and is good news for working parents.”

Poor students are more than three times as likely to live at home while studying for a degree, a study by the Sutton Trust has found.

It’s another handout to the wealthy by this Government for the few PETER DOWD ON TORIES’ CASH FOR RICH PARENTS

CLASS WARS Private schoolkids. Pic posed by models

‘SHOCKING’ Labour MP Peter Dowd