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More News...Child Trust FundHome Information Packs suspended Identity cards to be scrapped The Queen's Speech 2010 Fit notes National minimum wage rates increase National Victims' Service Paternity rights extended Age UK Maternity Action information sheets Means-tested benefits: new income disregards Tax credits renewals help sheet »» see also...www.citizensadvice.org.uk «« CAB Says... Child Trust Fund The government has announced that it intends to reduce and then stop all government contributions to the Child Trust Fund as follows. From 1 August, the government contributions for children born from August 2010 will be reduced: ? from £250 to £50 for better off families; and ? from £500 to £100 for those on lower incomes (whose household income is less than £16,190). The government contributions for children who turn 7 on or after 1 August will be stopped. The additional contributions for disabled children will continue to be paid this year. In Wales, children receive extra contributions. The way in which these extra contributions will be treated will be determined by the Welsh Assembly. From January 2011, the government will not be issuing any new Child Trust Fund vouchers. The rules governing Child Trust Funds will continue as usual. This means that: ? Child Trust Fund accounts already in existence will continue to operate as they do currently ? vouchers will continue to be issued inviting parents to open Child Trust Fund accounts for their children until January 2011 ? vouchers that have already been issued will continue to be valid up to their expiry date and ? government contributions into Child Trust Fund accounts will continue to be made at current levels until 1 August. Further information on the government announcement on the Child Trust Fund is available on the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) website at www.hmrc.gov.uk. Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... Home Information Packs suspended From 21 May, the government is suspending the requirement for homeowners to provide a Home Information Pack (HIP) when selling their homes. A HIP is a pack of standard information for potential buyers when a property is being marketed for sale. This means that a seller no longer has to buy a HIP before putting their home on the market. They do however, have the choice to provide one if they want to. The suspension will be followed up by legislation to abolish the packs permanently. Sellers are still required to commission, but will not need to have received, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before marketing their property. Regulations are being introduced outlining a number of new requirements in relation to EPCs. Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... Identity cards to be scrapped The government has proposed in the Queen's Speech that identity cards will be scrapped and the National Identity Register will be cancelled. Until new legislation is passed, current identity cards are still valid and can be used as an identity document and for travel within Europe Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... The Queen's Speech 2010 The main proposals in the Queen's Speech 2010 include:- ? the scrapping of identity cards and the National Identity Register ? increased help for the armed forces and their children ? an increase in National Insurance Contributions from April 2011 ? an annual limit on the number of non-EU migrants and an end to child detention ? restriction of the DNA database, regulation of CCTV and restoring the right to peaceful protest ? a Welfare Reform Bill introducing benefit sanctions for those who refuse a job, proposals to simplify the benefits system, and further testing of availability for work of claimants on incapacity benefit ? restoring the earnings link for the basic state pension and a review of the current timetable for increasing the state pension age ? loans for homes and businesses to install measures for greater energy efficiency ? a referendum on parliamentary reform between the First Past the Post and the Alternative Vote ? the ability for schools to become academies Click here to return to top of page CAB Says... Fit notes From 6 April, sick notes are replaced by fitness for work medical certificates, known as fit notes. The new form allows a doctor to say that an employee may be fit for work, subject to changes at the workplace, rather than saying they are either fit or not fit to do their normal job, as was the case with the old-style sick note. Workplace changes could include an alteration to working hours or duties, a phased return to work or workplace adaptations, and it is for employers and employees to agree between them what these changes should be. Further guidance on this is due to be produced before April by the Department for Work and Pensions. If a doctor certifies that an employee may be fit for work subject to adjustments being made, but the employer does not agree to make appropriate adjustments, then the employee should still be considered as unfit for work for statutory sick pay purposes. Click here to return to top of page CAB Says... National minimum wage rates increase National minimum wage (NMW) rates are to increase from 1 October. The new rates will be: ? £5.93 per hour for workers aged 21 and over (up from £5.80) ? £4.92 per hour for workers aged 18-20 (up from £4.83) ? £3.64 per hour for workers aged 16-17 (up from £3.57). From 1 October, the age at which the main rate becomes payable is reduced to 21 and over, not 22 and over as at present. Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... National Victims' Service From 1 April, a new National Victims' Service rolls out across England and Wales. This service is delivered in partnership with Victim Support. Victims of crime will receive a dedicated support worker to assess their emotional and practical needs as well as to give them guidance through the criminal justice system. There will also be a review of the Victim's Code of Practice to ensure it provides a clear and full set of rights for victims, including support for victims of anti-social behaviour. Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... Paternity rights extended Rules enabling fathers or partners to share the entitlement to statutory leave and pay for the birth or adoption of a child come into force on 6 April. They apply in respect of babies due on or after 3 April 2011, or to children matched for adoption on or after that date. It is not likely that people will be applying for this right until later in the year but they are protected from detriment and unfair dismissal in relation to this right from 6 April 2010. Under these rules, the father, for example, will be able to take additional paternity leave once the mother has returned to work as long as she has not used up all of her statutory maternity leave. He will also be entitled to additional statutory paternity pay if she has not used up all of her entitlement to statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance. Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... Age UK Age Concern and Help the Aged have joined forces to create a new organisation called Age UK. Age UK includes Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI. Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... Maternity Action information sheets Maternity Action is launching a new project to tackle pregnancy discrimination which will raise awareness about women?s rights at work when they are pregnant. A new information sheet ?Pregnant at work? for women and their advisers is now available online. The poster and information sheets are available in English and Polish. The information sheets are available from the Maternity Action website at www.maternityaction.org.uk. Click here to return to top of pageCAB Says... Means-tested benefits: new income disregards From 12 April, payments of child maintenance are fully disregarded as income for income support, income-based jobseeker?s allowance and income-related employment and support allowance (ESA). They were previously only partly disregarded for these benefits. This may mean that people not previously entitled to one of these benefits will become entitled. From 1 April, there is also a new earnings disregard for housing benefit and council tax benefit. This means that if a person is doing permitted work and gets contributory ESA, incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, or gets national insurance credits on grounds of incapacity for work or limited capability for work, the local authority will disregard earnings from this work in certain circumstances. This may mean that people not previously entitled to housing benefit or council tax benefit will become entitled to it. Click here to return to top of page CAB Says... Tax credits renewals help sheet HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have produced a new help sheet about tax credit annual reviews. It explains how to renew a tax credits claim at the end of the financial year. It is available from the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk Click here to return to top of page Annual Report Now Available For Download...
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