Good Morning all. On one of the other forums that I am on, doubt has been cast about my statement re pension increases.
What I said was..... "Pension and child benefit increases will take effect in January, three months early, and every single pensioner to get a one-off payment of £60 from January, £120 for couples."
I can see that it may be construed that the one off payment IS the increase for the first 3 months of the year..... not as well as.
The words below are the official speech.....
Mr Speaker, I also intend to step up help for families with children.
We have already announced that the child element of the Child Tax Credit will increase by £50 above indexation next April.
We have also announced a further increase in that credit of £25 above indexation in 2010.
I now intend to pay both these increases together in April, making it worth in total £2,235 for modest income families.
The Government is also working with Local Authorities to further improve take up of tax credits and benefits.
Local authorities have a key role as well in working with families to tackle disadvantage and extend opportunities for children.
We are introducing a child poverty bill next year which will set in legislation the historic commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
And I have already announced that child benefit, which was only £11.05 in 1997, will increase from £18.80 to £20 a week in April next year.
We are supporting families and increasing opportunity for all children.
Mr Speaker, I also want to do more for pensioners.
First, for pensioners on modest incomes, I can announce today an increase in Pension Credit in April.
I will increase it from £124 to £130 a week for individual pensioners and from £189 to £198 for pensioner couples.
An increase above indexation – and the biggest increase in Pension Credit since it was introduced in 2003.
I can also confirm that State Pensions will increase in line with the highest rate of inflation this year.
This will increase the basic state pension for a single person from £90.70 to £95.25 - an increase of £4.55 a week – and up from £61 in 1996/97.
And now that inflation is expected to fall quickly, pensioners should see a real benefit.
Mr Speaker, I don’t want people to have to wait for this extra money.
I want them to get it as quickly as possible.
This will benefit them and benefit the economy.
So families will not have to wait until April to receive their increase in Child Benefit.
Instead they will start to get it in January – 3 months early.
I want to do the same for pensioners.
They are already getting a winter fuel payment – increased again this year.
But I want to do more.
So I will ensure that every pensioner will get a one-off payment of £60, on top of the £10 Christmas bonus, from January.
And for couples, £120, also from January.
And this £70 payment will also go to children with disabilities.
And after all that I am still no clearer.
Regards. Trev..
