Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to provide additional financial assistance to student nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to help with the costs of childcare.

As part of our new financial support package, our announcement on 19 January 2020¹ stated that new and continuing nursing, midwifery and many allied health students on eligible pre-registration undergraduate and post graduate courses at English Universities from September 2020 could receive £1,000 towards childcare costs.

This is in addition to the £5,000 annual maintenance grant that we have already announced.

This new funding is in addition to the funding we already provide eligible students through the Learning Support Fund where students can access a £1,000 child dependents allowance. The Learning Support Fund also allows students to access reimbursement of all travel and accommodation expenses more than their usual daily travel and exceptional hardship funding of up to £3,000 per year.

None of this funding has to be repaid.

Students may also be able to access additional grant support from Student Finance England which is available for all full-time students with adult or child dependants².

Notes:

¹https://www.gov.uk/government/news/paramedic-students-will-get-5000-support-payment-each-year

²https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/extra-help