> Not as dumb and not something that catches everyone but a similar problem in the UK is free childcare. > 22 hours of free childcare a week is worth ~£9k a ye

> Not as dumb and not something that catches everyone but a similar problem in the UK is free childcare. > 22 hours of free childcare a week is worth ~£9k a year post-tax. If either you or your partner earn a penny over £100k then you're no longer eligible for any of your children. So with two kids in nursery a penny pay rise might lead to a £30k pre-tax pay cut. Means testing is usually fairly expensive to administer too. It's more political point scoring than anything else.