Articles and Speeches

Child Trust Let Down
03-Feb-06, Windsor Express Article.

Children have no choice of who their parents are and this is why, on first sight, it is tempting to welcome the introduction of the new Child Trust Funds.

Under the scheme the Government aim to contribute £250 to a fund for every British child born after September 2002.  In addition those families on low incomes receive an additional £250. The aim is that the Trust Fund will mature as the child grows, ultimately providing a pot of funds when they reach adulthood.

Whether or not we agree that ‘all’ tax payers should subsidise the children of others is questionable; As is the idea that wealthy children should receive Government hand outs, but given that the Trust Funds have been introduced, we must surely agree that the money should reach the intended recipients in an efficient manner.

It strikes me that very few people would ignore an offer of ‘free’ money for their children without a very good reason. So it is a sad indictment of this Government that 1 in 3 of the £250 vouchers have not been used!

If the £500 on offer to the least well off is not being taken up by the children who most need it, then the Government is failing in its duty.

Perhaps, as ever, it is the complexity, bureaucracy and form-filling required to set-up the Trust Fund and obtain the voucher that deters parents from claiming. This challenge would be particularly felt by those with dyslexia or other learning difficulties, the very people whose children may require the support most of all.

Ideology aside, if the Government has decided that Child Trust funds are the answer, then they must unravel the chaos and ensure that the money reaches the children for whom it’s intended.