Any plans to cut Child Benefit in the December budget are being strongly opposed by children’s rights groups and public representatives.
On foot of Minister for Children Barry Andrews refusing this week to rule out cuts to child benefit in the upcoming budget, the Children’s Rights Alliance has stated that any cuts would have a serious negative impact on the lives of families throughout the country.
“In Ireland, unlike in the UK, most families make substantial contributions to the cost of the health, education and care of their children. We have not heard any indication from Government that any money saved through cuts would be redirected towards providing community based services for children.
“Child Benefit is the only payment in the country that is paid on behalf of nearly every single child. Child Benefit is a payment that reflects the value we place on children and our future, and on the lifecycle principle that income is distributed from those without children to those with children. In the future these children will pay for the pensions of adults. Child Benefit is a regular, reliable and easy to access payment that every family is entitled to, without stigma,” according to the Alliance.
Barnardos children’s charity has also expressed grave concerns about further cuts to Child Benefit in the forthcoming Budget. Research undertaken by Barnardos in 2009 showed that the increases given to Child Benefit up to 2008 proved to be effective in decreasing child poverty from 9.7 per cent in 2004 to 6.3 per cent in 2008. CEO of Barnardos Fergus Finlay said today children continue to be the group most at risk of poverty in Ireland with more than 65,000 children currently living in consistent poverty. Child Benefit plays a crucial role in helping families meet the everyday costs of rearing children.
“The payment was cut by 10 per cent in 2010 and, although the targeted Qualified Child Increase was raised to compensate for any loss to social welfare families, low and middle income families are under constant financial strain. Any further cuts to child benefit would be immoral. We know from our first hand experience of working with children and families in communities all over Ireland that more children are going hungry every day and that many families are ill-equipped for the winter ahead, with no idea as to how they can afford to heat their homes or provide adequate clothing for their children.
“For families with low income, the child benefit payment is their lifeline. Cutting the payment would greatly add to the hardship and poverty experienced by children living in these families. We also see families at all levels of income struggling now, so cutting child benefit is simply not an option.”
Local Sinn Fein councillor Rose Conway Walsh has also called on the Government to maintain child benefit as a universal payment.
“Removing child benefit from mothers who are working outside the home would actually make child benefit up to 30 times more expensive to administer,” she claimed. “Cutting this benefit from middle income families who are working day and night to keep the bills paid and who are eligible for nothing is unjust. If the Government want to address the issue of individuals earning in excess of €100,000 and still getting child benefit then they should introduce a third tax band of 48 per cent which would increase tax revenue in a fairer way and keep administration costs low.”
