Children

Parents across the UK are being asked to reveal how the soaring cost of childcare affects them, as two leading charities call on the Government to improve help for struggling families.

Parents whose children have money in a child trust fund (CTF) savings account have been urged to move their cash to a top-payer soon.

The Government has revealed it will end child trust fund (CTF) payments as part of the £6.2 billion of savings to help cut the budget deficit.

The average pocket money rate for some families has finally hit the £1,000 a year level, according to a poll of 11,000 parents. This puts it only just below gas and electricity bills in a family's expenditure.