§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what factors underlie the decision not to reward parents coming off benefits and into full-time education with the child maintenance bonus under the old scheme and child maintenance premium under the new scheme. [181629]
§ Mr. PondThe child maintenance bonus is a measure to provide an incentive for parents with care to go into work.
The child maintenance premium is a disregard of income for parents with care who are in receipt of either income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance. When a parent with care ceases to receive income-related benefit, she will receive all of the maintenance paid.