No further Cuts to Child Benefit : NWCI responds to IMF suggestions

Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Child Benefit is critical for families to support the costs of raising children. Now more than ever low and middle income families are relying on Child Benefit as an essential part of household budgets, stated Orla O'Connor, Acting CEO National Women's Council of Ireland in response to the IMF Report.

Due to the recession and cutbacks Child Benefit has now become an essential part of the family budget for the vast majority of families in Ireland, in addition it is the only support that parents have to pay for childcare.

'Child Benefit is the only payment that families receive for the costs of rearing children - food, clothing, education and particularly childcare costs which remain the one of the highest in the EU. An OECD report in 2010 showed that households with young children in Ireland spend on average 41 per cent of their income on childcare' she continued'.

'Child Benefit has been repeatedly cut as a result of austerity and the NWCI in supporting mothers will oppose any further cut to the payment. It is important that Child Benefit remain a universal payment and at current levels which only represents a contribution to the costs of raising children today' she concluded.

Ends.

For further information contact
Orla O'Connor, Acting CEO NWCI, -0876483516