Yousuf Miah is a former Councillor and Cabinet Member on Northampton Borough Council who contested Burnley for the Conservatives in 2005.
With the nation virtually bankrupt, we need to find savings at all levels of public finance. My policy, to link Child Benefit to school attendance, will not only make savings but instil a sense of responsibility on all parents and guardians.
According to the ONS, there are over 11.5 million children under 16, all eligible for Child Benefit starting from £20 for the first child. Payments to subsequent children vary between £11.50 and 17.50. The number receiving the benefit increases significantly if you include those up to the age of 19 years who are still in education. The total paid out annually exceeds £13 billion.
The system of child benefit awards has changed little since it was renamed form family allowance to Child Benefit in 1977. Every child has been entitled to the benefit regardless of how much their parents earn or how much they have in their bank accounts. It becomes an automatic entitlement as soon as a child is born and I definitely support the allowance.
However, I feel we are missing a trick here by not introducing some simple measures to make society a little more accountable. Since all children are expected to be at school until they are at least 16 years, I can’t see why we can’t tweak the system so that the school or the education authority administers the benefit and awards it in lieu at the end of each month, based on attendance. Parents and guardians will continue to receive the benefit in the normal way until the child starts school. From there on, the benefit would be paid to the parents/guardians but linked to the child’s school attendance until they are 16.
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