Melanie Reid

The extent of the poverty trap was highlighted yesterday by a survey showing that more than one quarter of Scots parents on low incomes cannot work full time because of the cost of childcare.

Those earning less than £15,000 who have more than one child are unable to afford to go out to work, according to research conducted by YouGov for the charity Save the Children Fund.

Another survey, released on the same day by the Daycare Trust, revealed the additional problem of seasonal shortage of childcare. Holiday childcare costs in Scotland rose by 9 per cent in the last year.

Save the Children have called for seasonal grants of £100 per child for poor families and a rise in the minimum wage.

Joanne Brady, a single mother of two children from Glasgow, is unable to work because she loses more in deducted child tax credits than she gains in income. “If you have one child, it's OK but if you have two it's impossible. They take 20 per cent off for each child when you go to work. You still have to pay your housing, travel and lunches and it's just not adequate.”

Ms Brady, 27, is among the 28 per cent of parents with children under 18 and an income of less than £15,000.

Douglas Hamilton, head of policy and research for Save the Children, said: “The costs of childcare are so high that by going to work they lose more money than they make. Many parents have to leave their jobs to look after their children.

“The majority of parents in poverty want to work, but with no one to look after their children they can't.”

The Daycare Trust research highlighted the extra financial burden on parents during the summer holidays, when their children are not being looked after at school. The trust said the average cost was now £82.88 a week.

Mr Hamilton added: “Save the Children wants the Government to introduce seasonal grants for the poorest families, of £100 per child in summer and winter, to help parents cope with these expensive times of year. This should be part of the £3 billion investment needed for the Government to keep its promise of halving child poverty by 2010.”

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