Sending a child to school, especially when one is a lone parent, is tough. Childcare can be costly especially when one’s own income is not enough to meet the necessities of the family. Fortunately, there are several single parent benefits available to support parents in rearing their children.
It is up to the parents to take advantage of these benefits by being actively aware of the different providers whose primary goal is to help them cope more efficiently. HM Revenue & Customs cites common and basic questions about child benefit in the UK.
Child benefit is a kind of payment that single parents are entitled to claim for their children. There are different criteria and rates may vary in different countries and states. Custodial parents and even guardians can also claim single parent child benefits.
In the UK, a child benefit is usually valid until the age of 15. Non-custodial parents may also apply for this benefit provided that the custodial parent has not applied for a similar benefit. The eldest child gets as much as £20.30 weekly and the same rule applies to an only child.
On the other hand, subsequent children shall receive only £13.40 a week. Payments for these benefits are directed to a bank or National Savings & Investment (NS&I). Ill or disabled children can claim up to 12 weeks of child benefit if they are in a hospital or residential care. If the period extends after 12 weeks, then the single parent (custodial parent) or the non-custodial parent spends money on them on a regular basis.
Residential care is provided by local authority to children who are mentally or physically ill to avoid worsening of current conditions. If the child has to undergo a medical treatment abroad, child benefit shall still be given as long as the child will not be gone for more than 52 weeks.
One of the industrialized Asian countries, Japan also provides quite a lot of child benefits. Aya K. Abe’s article, Effects of Child-Related Benefits in Japan, cites some of these and these include The Child Rearing Allowance (CRA) for single mothers and the Child Allowance (CA) while Public Assistance for the Poor (Seikatsu-Hogo) is a cash assistance provided for poor families.
The CRA is given to children with ages ranging from 3 to 6 years old. The CRA is provided to children of single mothers who have custody of the children who does not share income with the child’s father. This is applicable for children below 18.
The Public Assistance for the Poor provides in-cash assistance to parents whose income falls below minimum. Japan also provides child tax benefits. Unlike in other countries, illegitimate children in Singapore are in a dismal state since they shall not be entitled to a number of benefits experienced by married couples.
Early this year, The Asian Parent Singapore Edition featured Survival Guides for Single Mums in Singapore. In one of the survival tips, it is mentioned that if a mother is unwed, the child is therefore illegitimate and shall not be entitled to any inheritances in case of the mother’s death (without a will). Instead, any property left by the mother shall be given by the government to the mother’s parents.
Worse, for a child to be legitimate, the mother has to legally adopt her own child and pay $3,000 just to get child benefits. The biological father, whether he has documents to prove or not, is entitled however, to visitation rights, an aspect which is perhaps not that significant for the Singapore government.
Single unwed mothers should therefore get all the financial assistance they can get from the biological fathers of their children since getting support from the government is not likely to happen.
Comparing the scenario in different countries for single parents illustrates how difficult life can be for them and most particularly, for their children, since providing benefits is widely affected as well by not just the financial status of the country but also by its cultural beliefs, laws and traditions.
It is absolutely amazing how single parents survive their situation while getting a lot of help but more so for single unwed mothers in countries who do not get any help at all.
Next Article:- Help for Single Mothers
It is up to the parents to take advantage of these benefits by being actively aware of the different providers whose primary goal is to help them cope more efficiently. HM Revenue & Customs cites common and basic questions about child benefit in the UK.
Child benefit is a kind of payment that single parents are entitled to claim for their children. There are different criteria and rates may vary in different countries and states. Custodial parents and even guardians can also claim single parent child benefits.
In the UK, a child benefit is usually valid until the age of 15. Non-custodial parents may also apply for this benefit provided that the custodial parent has not applied for a similar benefit. The eldest child gets as much as £20.30 weekly and the same rule applies to an only child.
On the other hand, subsequent children shall receive only £13.40 a week. Payments for these benefits are directed to a bank or National Savings & Investment (NS&I). Ill or disabled children can claim up to 12 weeks of child benefit if they are in a hospital or residential care. If the period extends after 12 weeks, then the single parent (custodial parent) or the non-custodial parent spends money on them on a regular basis.
One of the industrialized Asian countries, Japan also provides quite a lot of child benefits. Aya K. Abe’s article, Effects of Child-Related Benefits in Japan, cites some of these and these include The Child Rearing Allowance (CRA) for single mothers and the Child Allowance (CA) while Public Assistance for the Poor (Seikatsu-Hogo) is a cash assistance provided for poor families.
The CRA is given to children with ages ranging from 3 to 6 years old. The CRA is provided to children of single mothers who have custody of the children who does not share income with the child’s father. This is applicable for children below 18.
The Public Assistance for the Poor provides in-cash assistance to parents whose income falls below minimum. Japan also provides child tax benefits. Unlike in other countries, illegitimate children in Singapore are in a dismal state since they shall not be entitled to a number of benefits experienced by married couples.
Early this year, The Asian Parent Singapore Edition featured Survival Guides for Single Mums in Singapore. In one of the survival tips, it is mentioned that if a mother is unwed, the child is therefore illegitimate and shall not be entitled to any inheritances in case of the mother’s death (without a will). Instead, any property left by the mother shall be given by the government to the mother’s parents.
Worse, for a child to be legitimate, the mother has to legally adopt her own child and pay $3,000 just to get child benefits. The biological father, whether he has documents to prove or not, is entitled however, to visitation rights, an aspect which is perhaps not that significant for the Singapore government.
Single unwed mothers should therefore get all the financial assistance they can get from the biological fathers of their children since getting support from the government is not likely to happen.
Comparing the scenario in different countries for single parents illustrates how difficult life can be for them and most particularly, for their children, since providing benefits is widely affected as well by not just the financial status of the country but also by its cultural beliefs, laws and traditions.
It is absolutely amazing how single parents survive their situation while getting a lot of help but more so for single unwed mothers in countries who do not get any help at all.
Next Article:- Help for Single Mothers
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