Stop cuts to family welfare and child benefits

It was announced from Tuesday 22 June 2010 (and was again featured on the news on the 18th of August) that many families and pregnant women will have benefits and other payments cut or frozen following the budget. Child benefit, child tax credits and the health in pregnancy grant will all be affected. During this time of recession with utility bills, the cost of food and other living expenses continuing to escalate, cuts to government benefits will be hard hitting for many. The coalition government seem to have targeted families in particular.

The following are some of the proposed cuts:

Child benefit will no longer be available to everyone and will be means tested to see if you qualify to receive it. Many hard working families will therefore lose out on income that they have come to rely on.

From the beginning of the next tax year the baby element of child tax credit would be completely abolished. As all parents know having a baby is a very expensive time with the cost of baby food, clothes and baby equipment being a real drain on a family's resources.

Families with a second child could also lose over £1,200 this year. Child tax credits for families with a household income of more than £40,000 will see their child tax credits reduced from April 2011. From April 2011 the health in pregnancy grant (£190 payment to all pregnant women after week 25 of their pregnancy) will be abolished. Restrictions will also be made to those eligible to the sure start maternity grant. This is a one-off payment of £500 for low income families to help with the cost of a 1st baby.

The child trust fund has already been abolished, please don't let Cameron's government take more benefits away from families. Our children's welfare is at stake so please sign the petition and send the link to everyone you know and or family/baby/social websites where it can be accessed by as many people as possible. Take a stand now for the sake of your family's future.