§ Baroness Noakesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will set out their estimates of the annual cost of raising children compared with the amounts payable to parents in respect of child tax credit, child benefit and other child-contingent income support for:
in each case showing the result at the annual family income levels of £0, £10,000, £20,000, £30,000, £40,000 and £50,000. [HL871]
- (a)single parents with (i) one child; (ii) two children; (iii) three children; an
- (b)two-parent families with (i) one child; (ii) two children; (iii) three children;
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)Financial support for children through child tax credit and child benefit is the same for single-parent and two-parent families. The levels of financial support for children depend on gross family income and in 2004–05 they will be:
55WA
Income level £0 £10,000 £20,000 £30,000 £40,000 £50,000 Onechild £3,030 £3,030 £1,405 £1,405 £1,405 £1,405 Two children £5,235 £5,235 £3,470 £1,980 £1,980 £1,980 Three children £7,435 £7,435 £5,670 £2,550 £2,550 £2,550 More support is available for families with a child aged under one or a disabled child and where working families pay for eligible childcare costs.
The Government do not estimate the costs of raising children because the differences in costs between families are too great to allow for a meaningful average.