REPORT: Lone Parents
The introduction of Income Support heralded a new era of support for lone parents of low income and thereby increased the opportunities for their children to break the cycle of being at risk of poverty and disadvantage.
The measures included more accessible financial support for child care and the removal of disincentives to work inherent in the combination of benefit systems which Income Support replaced.
In addition a separate adult component for lone parents was established in excess of 40% above the standard adult rate, reflecting the fact that a lone parent faces many of the costs faced by a couple with children.
The Minister now proposes amendments to the Income Support Scheme which will maintain the value of benefits into a household when an adult child (16 years and over) continues in full time education. This amendment will create a financial incentive for the child to remain in further education.
FINANCIAL & MANPOWER IMPLICATIONS:
The full year cost for 2009 is estimated to be slightly in excess of £300,000 and will provide additional support to an estimated 167 families.
This cost will be met from within the existing budget for Income Support within the Social Security Department’s cash limit.
There are no additional manpower implications.
L:\General Information\Workgroups\Policy\(6.2) MINISTERIAL BUSINESS\(6.2.1) Ministerial Decisions\0029 - IS Amdmnt - Lone Parent Component\WR - Reports Loan Parent.doc
Income Support (Amendment of Law) (Jersey) Regulations 200-
REPORT
Explanatory Note
These Regulations alter the wording of Article 5(2)(b) of the Income Support (Jersey) Law 2007 to ensure that if one or more children of a sole parent who are in the sole parent’s household have turned 16, but have not yet turned 19 and are in full-time education, the sole parent may still be entitled to a sole parent’s component in his or her income support.
Income Support (Amendment of Law) (Jersey) Regulations 200-
Made [date to be inserted]
Coming into force [date to be inserted]
THE STATES, in pursuance of Articles 5 and 18 of the Income Support (Jersey) Law 2007, have made the following Regulations –
1 Amendment of Article 5(2) of Law
In Article 5 of the Income Support (Jersey) Law 2007 –
(a) for paragraph (2)(b) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph –
“(b) a rate for an adult who is (but for any adult specified in paragraph (2A)) the sole adult in a household –
(i) in respect of which there is an entitlement to the component referred to in sub-paragraph (c), or
(ii) in which, even though there is no such entitlement, there are one or more other adults in the household each of whom is an adult specified in paragraph (2A);”;
(b) after paragraph (2) there shall be inserted the following paragraph –
“(2A) An adult specified in this paragraph is an adult who is –
(a) any of the following –
(i) the son of the adult referred to in paragraph (2)(b) as the sole adult,
(ii) the daughter of the adult referred to in paragraph (2)(b) as the sole adult,
(iii) a person whom the adult referred to in paragraph (2)(b) as the sole adult has parental responsibility for, or otherwise cares for, as part of a family unit;
(b) less than 19 years old; and
(c) in full-time education in Jersey.”.
2 Citation and commencement
(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Income Support (Amendment of Law) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.
(2) These Regulations shall come into force 7 days after they are made.
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