Financial Help

Financial help is available to support you and care for your children depending on your situation.

You’ll find a summary of some general family benefits below. We can offer more advice if you:

• are in training or education;
• have a child or young person with a disability.

Different types of financial help available to families:

Child Benefit

Child Benefit is available for all people who are bringing up children and paid for each child until they’re:

• 16 years old or;
• 19 years old if they’re in full-time study.

It’s not affected by income or savings and you can claim for a child as soon as they’re born or they come to live with you. The rate payable for the oldest child is £20.30 per week, with subsequent children at £13.40.

You don’t need to be the child’s parent or carer to claim Child Benefit. You can claim Child Benefit if:

• you pay towards a child’s upbringing - even if they don’t live with you;
• and no-one else is claiming for them.

Claim packs can be found in ‘Bounty Packs’, online at www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit or are available from the Child Benefit Office on 0845 302 1444.

Note that the amount of Child Benefit per week per child has been frozen for 3 years and households with one or more higher rate tax payers will not be eligible to claim from 2013.

Guardian Allowance

Carer’s bringing up children because one or both of their parents have died may also be entitled to claim Guardian’s Allowance, as long as the children they are caring for are entitled to Child Benefit and other conditions are met. Guardian’s Allowance is £14.75 per week per child in addition to Child Benefit.

For more information and to check eligibility, go online at www.hmrc.gov.uk/guardians-allowance or call the helpline on 0845 302 1464.

Working Tax Credit

Working Tax Credits are payments to help families (with or without children) on low incomes.

You may be able to claim if you:

• have a child;
• are over the age of 16 and;
• work for at least 16 hours a week (single parents only).

From 6th April 2012 the rules around claiming Working Tax Credit are changing slightly – couples with children must now work 24 hours a week between them, with at least one person working 16 hours or more. If only one of you works, they must be working 24 hours a week or more.

Working Tax Credit contains a “childcare element”. This helps towards the cost of registered or approved childcare, and can pay for up to 70% of childcare costs to a maximum of £175 per week for one child or up to £300 per week for two or more children.

The amount you may receive up to these limits depends on your household income and the number of children you are paying childcare for.

Child Tax Credit

Child Tax Credits are payments that support families with children. You can claim if you’re responsible for more than one child, regardless of whether you’re working. 

However, the amount you are entitled to may reduce depending on income and this can include some benefits.

The Family Element is payable to any family responsible for a child, though households with an income of more than £40,000 per annum may find their payments reduced.

Child Element is paid for each qualifying child you’re responsible for and which has a maximum of £2,690. It’s paid at a higher rate if the child has a disability and an enhanced rate for a child with a severe disability. The additional payment for a child under one was withdrawn from April 2011.

Child Tax Credit will be paid until:

• 1st September following the child’s 16th birthday or;
• the child is 20, if they’re in full-time education.

You might not be able to get Child Tax credit from 6^th April 2012 if:

• you have one child, and your annual income is more than around £26,000
• you have two children, and your annual income is more than around £32,200.

These are guides and you may be entitled to Child Tax Credit if your income is over these limits if you have more than 2 children, are disabled or are paying for registered or approved childcare.

For more information on Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit contact HM Revenue and Customs on 0845 300 3900, visit their website at www.direct.gov.uk/taxcredits or contact us.

Early Years Entitlement

All children in Lincolnshire are eligible to access a free Early Years place from the funding period after their third birthday until they reach statutory school ages (the end of the funding period in which they celebrate their fifth birthday).

Children are entitled to:

• 15 hours of funding per week
• for 38 weeks of the year (term times only).

Some 2 year olds are also entitled to the funding if they meet certain eligibility criteria – complete the referral form on the Birth to Five Service website.

You’ll need to pay for any extra hours the child attends over these sessions, or during school holidays.

Funding is claimed through your Day Nursery or Pre-school if they’re part of the scheme.

The Family Information Service can provide a list of childcare providers who are able to offer Early Education Entitlement places.

The Early Years Entitlement page has more detailed information.

Childcare Vouchers

Childcare Vouchers are used to pay for childcare and are a benefit offered by an increasing number of employers.

Each parent/carer can request vouchers to the maximum of £55 per week or £243 per month and can thus save up to £920 per year in tax and NI (basic rate tax payers) which are not paid on the amount of salary sacrificed. 

You usually get Childcare Vouchers through “salary sacrifice”, which means you get part of your wages up to the maximum paid into a specific (often on-line) account that can only be used to pay for childcare administered through an independent voucher company.

Any childcare paid for in this way cannot be claimed for through Working Tax Credit, and so may affect your claim and the amount you receive. Check carefully to see which benefits you the most.

Childcare Vouchers can only be used with registered or approved child carers.

Check with your employer to see if they offer such a scheme – it is really easy for you and your childcare provider to sign up and is usually at least cost-neutral for your employer as they also make savings on NI contributions.

Details of individual Childcare Voucher companies can be found by searching on-line.

Supported Childcare

Supported Childcare Funding is available to support short term access to childcare as part of a holistic family support plan. This funding is available to all families who meet the eligibility criteria, including children with a disability.  The process for referring families for access to this funding sits with locality teams and professional colleagues who will complete referrals for eligible families. Each case will be assessed on an individual basis and initial enquiries should be made at your local Children’s Centre. The Family Information Service can find your nearest centre for you or search on-line.

Supported Childcare places will only be provided if the parents, childcare provider, and relevant Children’s Services staff agree that it is in the best interests of the child. The offer is intended as a one off intervention programme and will therefore be time-limited.   Reviews will take place every 6 weeks in order to ensure that access to the childcare is having maximum impact.

The Birth to Five Service manages this funding and monitors this funding alongside the Early Years Entitlements for 2, 3 & 4 year olds, to ensure families access the appropriate funding to support their child’s needs.

Sure Start Maternity grant

You can get a Sure Start Maternity Grant if you, your partner or civil partner get:

•  Income Support;
•  Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance;
•  Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
• Pension Credit;
• Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element;
• Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability part is included

 and you, your partner or civil partner:

• is/are pregnant and are expecting a baby within 11 weeks or have given birth within the last three months;
• a dependent child you receive benefit for is pregnant and is expecting their baby within 11 weeks or has given birth within the last three months;
• are not the mother but have become the responsible lone parent of a child under one year old;
• you or your partner have adopted or been granted a residence order of a child under one year old;
• you or your partner have been granted a parental order for a surrogate birth of a child under one year old
• you or your partner have been appointed guardian of a baby under one year old;
• you or your partner have had a child placed with you for adoption by an adoption agency and the child is under one year old;
• you or your partner have adopted a baby from abroad and the child is under one year old.
• you’ll receive £500 for each baby even if you have savings.

You, your partner or civil partner can apply for a Sure Start Maternity Grant by completing form SF100. You can get this from your local Jobcentre Plus office or download online at www.direct.gov.uk(search for “Maternity Grant”).

Healthy Start

You may qualify if you’re pregnant and/or have at least one child under four years old and your family gets any of the following:

• Income Support;
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance;
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit unless your family is receiving Working Tax credit run-on only) with an annual family income of around £16,190 or less;
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

or if you are pregnant and under 18 years old.

You may be able to get vouchers that can be spent on milk, fresh fruit and vegetables or infant formula. The scheme has been expanded and you can now buy plain frozen fruit and vegetables.

The rates are:

• £3.10 per week if you are pregnant;
• £6.20 per week for each baby under one;
• £3.10 per week for each child aged over one and under four.

You can also get free vitamin supplements. They’re usually available from NHS clinics and health centres but your midwife or health visitor will be able to advise on local arrangements.

You’ll need to complete an application form and get your midwife, health visitor or registered doctor or nurse to sign it. You can request a Healthy Start application form by calling 0845 607 6823.

Disabled Living Allowance

Disabled Living Allowance (DLA) has two components: care and mobility. The care component can be used to pay for childcare costs. If the child is entitled to DLA care at the lowest rate, the parents may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance, though there are conditions and restrictions. Medical tests are being introduced for Disability Living Allowance from 2013.

For more information and to request a claim form, contact the Disability Benefits Enquiry Line on 08457 123 456.

Free-school Meals

For more information about who is eligible for free school means and how to apply go to LCC’s Free School Meals page.

Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA)

Who can claim?

You may get WPA if all the following apply:

• you’re bringing up a child or young person under 19 (or under 20 in some cases for whom you’re getting Child Benefit
• you’re under State Pension age
• your husband, wife or civil partner died
• your husband, wife or civil partner paid National Insurance contributions (NICs).

You may also claim WPA if:

• you’re expecting your late husband’s baby or your late civil partner’s baby (with whom you were pregnant from fertility treatment)
• your husband, wife or civil partner died as a result of their work - even if they didn’t pay NICs.

You are normally entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance for as long as you are claiming Child Benefit for a child in your care, unless your marital or civil partnership status changes or you start to live with a new partner.

Income does not affect the amount you may be able to receive, though receiving other benefits may do so or may themselves be affected by claiming WPA, which is a maximum basic allowance of £100.70 per week. You may be also entitled to additional pension.

Claims should be made within 3 months of your spouse or civil partner’s death. To check eligibility contact Jobcentre Plus  on 0800 055 6688, who will also be able to send you a Bereavement Benefits claim pack (form BB1). Alternatively, go on-line at www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Bereavedfor other bereavement benefits and to download a claim form.

Help with childcare costs if you’re:

Seeking work or about to start work

There are many options for parents/carers seeking or about to start work from various Jobcentre Plus funding aimed at supporting parents or carers as they move into training or work, plus other funding which may include In Work Credit and Job Grant.

For these and other benefits available for parents seeking or about to start work, go to www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits.

In education or training

Further education colleges may have their own childcare on site, as well as hardship or access funds. There are also schemes such as Care to Learn and the Discretionary Learner Support Fund which offer support, with other options depending on the course and circumstances.

Those in Higher Education could access the Parents Learning Allowance or the Access to Learning Fund, as well as Professional and Career Development loans.

The Studying Parents section of the www.payingforchildcare.org.ukwebsite has lots of useful information and further links.