Written Statements

Monday 15th January 2018

(6 years, 9 months ago)

Written Statements
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Monday 15 January 2018

Tax-free Childcare Roll-out: Update

Monday 15th January 2018

(6 years, 9 months ago)

Written Statements
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Elizabeth Truss Portrait The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss)
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In April 2017 the Government launched tax-free childcare, which helps working parents with the cost of childcare with up to £2,000 of support per child. Today we will open the scheme to parents whose youngest child is under nine, or who turn nine today. We will be opening the scheme to all remaining eligible families on 14 February. This means all eligible parents will be able to apply for tax-free childcare before the end of this financial year.

The Government are giving more help with the cost of childcare to working parents than ever before. We introduced tax-free childcare in April 2017, and have doubled the free childcare available to working parents of three and four-year-olds to 30 hours a week. In 2019-20 we will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support—a record amount of support.

Since opening the childcare service, through which parents apply for 30 hours free childcare and tax-free childcare, more than 325,000 customers have successfully applied and are now using the service. Of these, more than 295,000 parents are eligible for 30 hours free childcare. Over 170,000 have a tax-free childcare account and we have begun activity to further raise awareness of tax-free childcare. We want to encourage more parents to take up the offer they are entitled to.

[HCWS401]

War Pensions Scheme Uprating 2017

Monday 15th January 2018

(6 years, 9 months ago)

Written Statements
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Tobias Ellwood Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Tobias Ellwood)
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The new rates of war pensions and allowances proposed from April 2018 are set out in the tables below. The annual uprating of war pensions and allowances for 2018 will take place from the week beginning 9 April. Rates for 2018 are increasing by 3.0% in line with the September 2017 consumer prices index.

War Pensions Rates

RATES

RATES

(Weekly rates unless otherwise shown)

2017

2018

War Pensions

Disablement Pension (100% rates)

officer (£ per annum)

9,392.00

9,674.00

other ranks (weekly amount)

180.00

185.40

Age Allowances Payable from Age 65

40% - 50%

12.05

12.40

over 50% but not over 70%

18.55

19.10

over 70% but not over 90%

26.35

27.15

over 90%

37.10

38.20

Disablement Gratuity (one-off payment)

specified minor injury (min.)

1,147.00

1,181.00

specified minor injury (max.)

8,559.00

8,816.00

1% - 5% gratuity

2,862.00

2,948.00

6% - 14% gratuity

6,363.00

6,554.00

15% - 19% gratuity

11,128.00

11,462.00

Supplementary Allowances

Unemployability Allowance

personal

111.20

114.55

adult dependency increase

61.80

63.65

increase for first child

14.35

14.80

increase for subsequent children

16.90

17.40

Invalidity Allowance

higher rate

22.00

22.65

middle rate

14.30

14.70

lower rate

7.15

7.35

Constant Attendance Allowance

exceptional rate

135.80

139.80

intermediate rate

101.85

104.85

full day rate

67.90

69.90

part-day rate

33.95

34.95

Comforts Allowance

higher rate

29.20

30.10

lower rate

14.60

15.05

mobility supplement

64.80

66.75

allowance for lowered standard of occupation (maximum)

67.88

69.92

therapeutic earnings limit (annual rate)

6,240.00

6,526.00

exceptional severe disablement allowance

67.90

69.90

severe disablement occupational allowance

33.95

34.95

clothing allowance (£ per annum)

232.00

239.00

education allowance (£ per annum) (maximum)

120.00

120.00

Widow(er)s Benefits

widow(er)s’-other ranks (basic with children) (weekly amount)

136.50

140.60

widow(er)-officer higher rate both wars (basic with children) (£ per annum)

7,259.00

7,477.00

childless widow(er)s’u-40 (other ranks) (weekly amount)

32.69

33.67

widow(er)-officer lower rate both wars (£ per annum)

2,521.00

2,597.00

supplementary pension

91.31

94.05

Age Allowance

(a) age 65 to 69

15.55

16.00

(b) age 70 to 79

29.90

30.80

(c) age 80 and over

44.35

45.70

Children’s Allowance

increase for first child

21.40

22.05

increase for subsequent children

24.00

24.70

Orphan’s Pension

increase for first child

24.50

25.25

increase for subsequent children

26.80

27.60

unmarried dependant living as spouse (max)

134.15

138.25

rent allowance (maximum)

51.40

52.95

adult orphan’s pension (maximum)

104.90

108.05



[HCWS402]