Child benefit

In most child benefit is means-tested and the amount paid is usually dependent on the number of children.

A number of conditional cash transfer programs in Latin America and Africa link payment to the receivers' actions, such as enrolling children into schools, and health check-ups and vaccinations.

[1] In the UK, in 2011 CentreForum proposed an additional child benefit dependent on parenting activities.

[2] In Australia, the system of child benefit payments, once termed child endowment[3] and currently called Family Tax Benefit, is income tested and linked to the Australian Income tax system.

The Family Tax Benefit Part A is paid for dependent children up to 20 years of age, and for dependent full-time students up to the age of 24 (who are not getting Youth Allowance or similar payments such as ABSTUDY and Veterans' Children Education Supplement).

These are income support payments for young people and for parents who are not employed and looking after children respectively.

[4] The Canada child benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age.

Near universal child benefit was introduced to Finland in 1948 by law, following the example of other Nordic countries.

One of them is called family allowance (Hungarian: családi pótlék) which is corresponding to the social program in other countries under the name child benefit.

Triplets, or more, are paid the double (200%) rate each; provided that all of them remain qualified (i.e. stay in further education until 19).

[12] Fraudulent claims of Child Benefit are treated very seriously, and can result in large fines or prison for up to 3 years.

[13] The government, through the Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants (Children's Future Fund), pays €299.86 per month per child.

The Netherlands has one of the lowest child benefits (Dutch: kinderbijslag) in Western Europe.

In comparison to Netherlands, its neighbour Germany pays 3 times more per month with lower income tax.

A report in 2012 by the children's commissioner Dr Russell Wills recommended New Zealand adopt a universal child benefit, which the-then National government rejected.

[19] In 2018, the Sixth Labour Government introduced a new universal BestStart Payment of $60 per week for parents with newborn dependents.

Finally, a debit card prepaid with 600,000 won is issued by the government to anyone pregnant or with a child in the country, which can be used for medical checks and initial upbringing costs.

From January 2022, this debit card will be prepaid with an increased amount of 1 million won by the government.

From January 2022, 2 million won will be immediately paid to anyone giving their first birth in South Korea and the cash can be used for any purpose on top of receiving all of the various aforementioned benefits.

Low income families who have a third child will have their children's university education fully paid for free by the Korean government.

Talk resumed in the 1970s, but in the 1980s the Thatcher ministry made it clear it would not accept a national minimum wage.

It largely affected workers in high-turnover service industries such as fast-food restaurants, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

In October 2010, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government announced that Child Benefit would be withdrawn from households containing a higher-rate taxpayer from January 2013.

[28] Today, child benefit is administered by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Family Allowances Labour Party poster
Map of monthly rate of child benefit in various European states for one, two and three non-disabled children raised by two parents (See description of map to more explanation.)