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fiat_knoxRead this item. Copied and pasted under the cut.
Support for disabled children cut in half under Universal Credit
Support for disabled children cut in half under Universal Credit
In one of the first pieces of detailed policy intention regarding the Universal Credit to be released by the Government, it has been announced that support for all but the most disabled children, currently provided through the disability element of child tax credit, is to be halved under the Universal Credit – a loss which could amount to more than £20,000 across the childhood of a disabled child.
At present, parents of children with disabilities (who receive DLA,) are entitled to a substantial top up of their Child Tax Credit entitlement. This addition is currently worth around £2715 (£52.21 per week) for each child in the household who has a disability.
In addition, children with the most severe disabilities (in receipt of the high rate care element of DLA), are entitled to the severe disability element, worth an additional £1095 (£21.06) – meaning they get a total addition worth £73.27 per week.
The DWP policy briefing note has announced that under the Universal Credit, the additions for disabled children will change to align these with the additions with the level of support available for disabled adults.
This means that severely disabled children will be entitled to an addition worth £74.50 per week – a very slight increase on current rates. (In addition, children with severe visual impairment will be brought into this group, and as a result could gain significantly.)
However, for other children with disabilities, the addition will be reduced to £25.95 per week (£1349.40 per year) – less than half the current rate.
This change could cost a family with a disabled child up to £1366 per year.
Given this is a yearly amount, the loss for a family over the course of the childhood of their disabled child could amount to substantially more than £20000 – as it is per child, the loss could amount to more than £40000 for parents with two disabled children.
(It should be noted that DLA for children will not be affected by this change since this remains outside of the Universal Credit.)
New claimants will receive the reduced support at the point of claiming Universal Credit, parents with disabled children will receive transitional cash protection on being transferred onto Universal Credit, until the point where this protection is either lost (as a result of a change of circumstances), or is eroded away (since the cash protection is not increased with inflation.)
In our briefing note on this issue Family Action estimates that around 100,000 families with disabled children could lose support as a result of this change. This will include many of the very poorest families, already struggling to make ends meet whilst caring for a disabled child. This reduced level of support would really hurt, and the Government really do need to think again on this one.
Don't believe me. Believe the link.
Support for disabled children cut in half under Universal Credit
In one of the first pieces of detailed policy intention regarding the Universal Credit to be released by the Government, it has been announced that support for all but the most disabled children, currently provided through the disability element of child tax credit, is to be halved under the Universal Credit – a loss which could amount to more than £20,000 across the childhood of a disabled child.
At present, parents of children with disabilities (who receive DLA,) are entitled to a substantial top up of their Child Tax Credit entitlement. This addition is currently worth around £2715 (£52.21 per week) for each child in the household who has a disability.
In addition, children with the most severe disabilities (in receipt of the high rate care element of DLA), are entitled to the severe disability element, worth an additional £1095 (£21.06) – meaning they get a total addition worth £73.27 per week.
The DWP policy briefing note has announced that under the Universal Credit, the additions for disabled children will change to align these with the additions with the level of support available for disabled adults.
This means that severely disabled children will be entitled to an addition worth £74.50 per week – a very slight increase on current rates. (In addition, children with severe visual impairment will be brought into this group, and as a result could gain significantly.)
However, for other children with disabilities, the addition will be reduced to £25.95 per week (£1349.40 per year) – less than half the current rate.
This change could cost a family with a disabled child up to £1366 per year.
Given this is a yearly amount, the loss for a family over the course of the childhood of their disabled child could amount to substantially more than £20000 – as it is per child, the loss could amount to more than £40000 for parents with two disabled children.
(It should be noted that DLA for children will not be affected by this change since this remains outside of the Universal Credit.)
New claimants will receive the reduced support at the point of claiming Universal Credit, parents with disabled children will receive transitional cash protection on being transferred onto Universal Credit, until the point where this protection is either lost (as a result of a change of circumstances), or is eroded away (since the cash protection is not increased with inflation.)
In our briefing note on this issue Family Action estimates that around 100,000 families with disabled children could lose support as a result of this change. This will include many of the very poorest families, already struggling to make ends meet whilst caring for a disabled child. This reduced level of support would really hurt, and the Government really do need to think again on this one.
Don't believe me. Believe the link.
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-14 08:30 pm (UTC)So to not cut benefits really would be treating them different from everyone else. Most other benefits have been chopped as well, in fact the only thing that has not, is politicians pay.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-17 06:05 pm (UTC)