How the Government How the Government helps meet the helps meet the

financial needs of financial needs of familiesfamilies

1. Child Benefit1. Child Benefit

• Child BenefitChild Benefit is paid to all is paid to all families to help with the families to help with the costs of bringing up children.costs of bringing up children.

• Families will qualify if they Families will qualify if they have a child under have a child under 16 16 or or under under 1919 if in full-time if in full-time education.education.

• The current payment is The current payment is £20.30£20.30 a week for the oldest a week for the oldest child and child and £13.40£13.40 for each for each additional child.additional child.

2. Income Support2. Income Support

• Income SupportIncome Support is is available to families with available to families with adults who are not adults who are not working or work on working or work on average less than average less than 16 16 hours a week.hours a week.

• How much is paid depends How much is paid depends on your circumstances.on your circumstances.

• Age, being a carer, being Age, being a carer, being a lone parent or being sick a lone parent or being sick or disabled can all affect or disabled can all affect your payments.your payments.

3. Jobseeker’s Allowance3. Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Jobseeker’s AllowanceJobseeker’s Allowance is is available for people who are available for people who are out of work or working less out of work or working less than 16 hours a week.than 16 hours a week.

• You can claim it if you are You can claim it if you are actively seeking work and actively seeking work and you are below retirement you are below retirement age.age.

• The current rate is The current rate is £53.45£53.45 for 16-24 yr-olds and for 16-24 yr-olds and £67.50£67.50 for 25 yr-olds and over.for 25 yr-olds and over.

4. Working Tax Credit4. Working Tax Credit

• Working Tax CreditWorking Tax Credit is is available for people available for people 1616 or or over who work over who work 16 16 or more or more hours a week.hours a week.

• How much you are paid How much you are paid depends on your age, depends on your age, responsibility for children, responsibility for children, disability, number of disability, number of working hours and income.working hours and income.

• If you pay for If you pay for childcarechildcare, it , it can help you get back up to can help you get back up to 80%80% of the costs. of the costs.

5. Child Tax Credit5. Child Tax Credit

• Child Tax CreditChild Tax Credit is an is an allowance available to allowance available to all families with all families with children in full-time children in full-time education.education.

• The amount payable The amount payable depends on the family’s depends on the family’s income (current limit is income (current limit is £41,300)£41,300)

6. Child Trust Fund6. Child Trust Fund

• The The Child Trust FundChild Trust Fund is is a savings and a savings and investment account investment account for children.for children.

• Children born on or Children born on or after after 1/09/021/09/02 received received a voucher for a voucher for £250£250 to to start their account start their account

( ( £500£500 for a child in a for a child in a low income family).low income family).

6. Child Trust Fund6. Child Trust Fund

• The money could not The money could not be touched until the be touched until the child’s child’s 1818thth birthday. birthday.

• Up to Up to £1,200£1,200 a year a year could be put into the could be put into the account by parents, account by parents, family and friendsfamily and friends

• A further payment of A further payment of £250£250 (or (or £500£500) would ) would be made on the child’s be made on the child’s 77thth birthday. birthday.

Child Trust Fund UpdateChild Trust Fund Update

• The new Coalition Government The new Coalition Government abolished Child Trust Funds as from abolished Child Trust Funds as from January 1January 1stst 2011 2011

• Existing funds will continue to run, Existing funds will continue to run, but the Government will no longer but the Government will no longer put money into them.put money into them.

7. Maternity 7. Maternity Pay/AllowancePay/Allowance

• Maternity PayMaternity Pay is paid is paid by an employer for a by an employer for a period of period of 9 months9 months while a woman takes while a woman takes time off to have a time off to have a baby. baby.

• If a person does not If a person does not qualify, they can claim qualify, they can claim Maternity AllowanceMaternity Allowance for the same period.for the same period.

8. Paternity Pay8. Paternity Pay

• Paternity PayPaternity Pay is paid to a is paid to a male parent by an male parent by an employer to enable him to employer to enable him to take time off work.take time off work.

• It is paid for It is paid for one or two one or two weeksweeks after the birth of after the birth of the child.the child.

• A father is also allowed A father is also allowed 26 26 weeksweeks unpaid paternity unpaid paternity leave, if he decides to use leave, if he decides to use up some of his wife’s up some of his wife’s unused maternity leave.unused maternity leave.

9. Healthy Start9. Healthy StartThis scheme provides:This scheme provides:•free vitamin supplements free vitamin supplements without a prescription without a prescription •weekly vouchers weekly vouchers that can be put towards the that can be put towards the cost of milk, fresh or plain frozen fruit and cost of milk, fresh or plain frozen fruit and vegetables or infant formula milkvegetables or infant formula milk

9. Healthy Start9. Healthy Start

Women will qualify for Women will qualify for Healthy Start if they are:Healthy Start if they are:• at least at least 10 weeks 10 weeks pregnantpregnant or have a child or have a child under fourunder four•receiving receiving benefits benefits such such as Income Support or as Income Support or Child Tax Credit with a Child Tax Credit with a low incomelow income

10. Sure Start Centres10. Sure Start Centres

• These are places which offer These are places which offer adviceadvice to parents on all aspects of raising to parents on all aspects of raising children, especially in deprived areas.children, especially in deprived areas.

11. Sure Start Maternity 11. Sure Start Maternity GrantGrant

• This is a one-off This is a one-off payment to help payment to help towards the cost of towards the cost of maternity and baby maternity and baby itemsitems..

• Women on a low Women on a low income and getting income and getting certain benefits or tax certain benefits or tax credits will qualify. credits will qualify.

11. Sure Start Maternity 11. Sure Start Maternity GrantGrant

• The grant of The grant of £500 £500 is tax-free and is tax-free and does not have to does not have to be repaid.be repaid.

• It is only available It is only available if a mother has if a mother has no other children no other children under 16.under 16.

12. The Social Fund 12. The Social Fund

• The The Social FundSocial Fund is available is available for people who are having for people who are having difficulty in paying bills or difficulty in paying bills or buying essential household buying essential household items.items.

• For example, families on a For example, families on a low income can take out a low income can take out a Crisis LoanCrisis Loan to pay for to pay for essential items. essential items.

• The loan is The loan is interest-freeinterest-free but but must be paid back.must be paid back.

13. The National 13. The National Minimum WageMinimum Wage

• The The National Minimum WageNational Minimum Wage guarantees working people guarantees working people in families a standard in families a standard amount of money per hour.amount of money per hour.

• From 1From 1stst October 2010, the October 2010, the rates were:rates were:

£3.64£3.64 an hour for 16-17 yr-olds an hour for 16-17 yr-olds £4.92£4.92 an hour for 18-20 yr-olds an hour for 18-20 yr-olds£5.93£5.93 an hour for 21 yr-olds and over an hour for 21 yr-olds and over

14. National Health Service 14. National Health Service BenefitsBenefits

• Families on Families on Income Income SupportSupport or or JSA JSA are entitled are entitled to benefits under the to benefits under the N.H.S.N.H.S.

• These include free dental These include free dental treatment, free eye tests treatment, free eye tests and help with travel costs and help with travel costs to and from hospital.to and from hospital.

• Since April 2011, free Since April 2011, free prescriptions have been prescriptions have been available for everyone.available for everyone.

15. Child Maintenance15. Child Maintenance

• If someone is bringing up a child who If someone is bringing up a child who has a parent living somewhere else has a parent living somewhere else in the UK or working abroad for a UK in the UK or working abroad for a UK based employer, the other parent is based employer, the other parent is legally responsible for providing legally responsible for providing financial support for their child. financial support for their child. 

Child Support Agency (CSA)Child Support Agency (CSA)

• The Child Support Agency (CSA) The Child Support Agency (CSA) calculates and collects maintenance from calculates and collects maintenance from parents who do not live with their parents who do not live with their child(ren). child(ren).

• The amount received will depend on the The amount received will depend on the income of the parent who does not live income of the parent who does not live with the child(ren). with the child(ren).

Child Support AgencyChild Support Agency

• The Child Support Agency usually collects The Child Support Agency usually collects payment if the parent with care of the payment if the parent with care of the child is receiving Income Support or child is receiving Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance. Jobseeker’s Allowance.

• Otherwise the Child Support Agency will Otherwise the Child Support Agency will only get involved if either parent asks only get involved if either parent asks them tothem to. .

Child Maintenance and Child Maintenance and Enforcement CommissionEnforcement Commission

• In 2008, a new organisation was set In 2008, a new organisation was set up which was supposed to make it up which was supposed to make it easier to deal with Child Maintenance.easier to deal with Child Maintenance.

• It aimed to be tougher on parents who It aimed to be tougher on parents who do not face up to their responsibilities.do not face up to their responsibilities.

• It has taken over the Child Support It has taken over the Child Support Agency and will eventually replace it.Agency and will eventually replace it.