‘Make child benefit count’ say campaigners celebrating 60 years of support for children

06.08.06

Campaigners are today celebrating 60 years of support for children by calling for child benefit to be increased and paid at the same rate for all children.

To mark the sixtieth anniversary of child benefit and its predecessor family allowances – which were first paid to parents on 6 August 1946 – the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is launching a new campaign.

The ‘Make Child Benefit Count’ campaign calls on the Government to increase child benefit and ensure that younger children get the same rate as the oldest child. At the moment, child benefit is worth £17.45 per week for the first child, but just £11.70 per week for second and subsequent children.

The campaign is being launched by one of the first mothers to receive the first family allowances payments in 1946, 86 year old Edith Wyper from Edinburgh, together with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

And the campaign is being backed by a coalition of organisations including End Child Poverty, the TUC, Save the Children, Citizens Advice, One Parent Families, Barnardo’s, Family Welfare Association and Daycare Trust.

A report also published by CPAG today – ‘Child benefit: fit for the future’ – says increasing child benefit and paying it at the same rate for all children would help to support larger families, which is vital if the Government is to meet its targets to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020.

People can send an electronic postcard to the Chancellor Gordon Brown by visiting the campaign’s website at www.makechildbenefitcount.org.

Kate Green, Chief Executive of CPAG, said today:

“This birthday is time to celebrate the role child benefit plays, showing society’s commitment to our children and helping parents make ends meet.

“Child benefit is popular, effective and reaches more children living in poverty than any other benefit or tax credit. That’s why we’re calling on the Chancellor to increase child benefit and ensure that younger children get the same rate as the oldest child.

“This would help support larger families which is vital if child poverty is to be ended once and for all. And it would be a fitting way to mark the sixtieth anniversary of one of the key elements of the welfare state, namely support for families with children.”

Edith Wyper, who also worked as a sub-postmistress and so paid out many of the family allowances, said:

“Family allowances were useful as an addition to your income and they helped poorer families where even a shilling was quite a sum. I saved it, maybe for 6, 7 or 8 weeks, until I had a lump and then I’d spend that on clothes and shoes and things that my children needed.”

Notes to Editors

1. Family allowances were first paid to mothers with two or more children on 6 August 1946 following the passing of the 1945 Family Allowances Act. Child benefit was introduced from 1977 to replace family allowances and child tax allowances.Visit www.cpag.org.uk/makechildbenefitcount for more information.
2. CPAG’s ‘Make Child Benefit Count’ campaign includes an e-postcard to the Chancellor Gordon Brown which can be signed at www.makechildbenefitcount.org.
3. 7.3 million families receive child benefit for 12.9 million children. Paying the same rate of child benefit for all children would benefit 4 million families with 2 or more children.
4. The campaign is being supported by a growing number of organisations including: Child Poverty Action Group, End Child Poverty, TUC, Save the Children, Citizens Advice, Family Welfare Association, One Parent Families, National Family & Parenting Institute, One Parent Families Scotland, National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations, Children in Wales, National Union of Students, Barnardo’s, Communication Workers Union, YWCA England & Wales, 4 Children, Daycare Trust, UK Coalition Against Poverty, ATD Fourth World, Ethnic Minority Foundation, Poverty Alliance, Labour Students, The National Youth Agency, National Children’s Bureau, NCH, Contact a Family and National Deaf Children’s Society.
5. Download the 'Make Child Benefit Count' media briefing, 3 pages A4 (1,168 KB PDF file)

For further information from CPAG please contact:
Alex Belardinelli
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
abelardinelli@cpag.org.uk