Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his Department is doing to improve the publicity for family credit.
§ Mr. JackSince 1989 a series of advertising campaigns and other publicity has led to a high level of awareness of family credit. But there is a high turnover of families within the eligible population, as people move into and out of eligibility as their family circumstances change. It is necessary therefore to ensure that those who become newly eligible are aware of the benefit and that they may qualify.
So that all families with children are made aware of family credit and are able to see whether they might be entitled, a personalised message about family credit now appears in child benefit order books, and on the appropriate award notices where child benefit is paid direct into a bank or building society. This tells the family that they may be able to get family credit if their income is less than the figure quoted in the message, which is individual to that family. A new advertising campaign, using television commercials to draw attention to the message in child benefit order books, began on 11 February. A poster has also been produced for display in post offices.
Other publicity measures which have been undertaken recently include a mailing, last August, of specially prepared material to some 80,000 advisers, including citizens advice bureaux, ministers of religion and others, and the inclusion of a leaflet about family credit in "Bounty Bags" which mothers of new-born babies receive in hospital.