Pre-school change will see money back claim
EMPLOYMENT & Social Security will demand its money back for family allowance, if Education proceeds to change the funding arrangements for universal pre-school education, it has warned.
Family allowance is set to reduce by £2.40 to £13.50 per week per child from 2 January – an approved move to help part-fund the new system of 15 hours per week of universal pre-school education.
However, in September the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture revealed its intention to reconsider the funding arrangements after the initial two terms and possibly bring proposals to allow providers to charge extra through top-up fees.
Changes might also involve a lower qualifying cap, based on parental income, to determine who gets the provision.
Employment & Social Security said that if the principle of universal access to pre-school education was abandoned, the committee would seek to have family allowance restored to its previous level.
It said the money would seek to have the money transferred back from Education's budget – something it has made known to the committee.
'We could not make that move on our own,' said Employment president Michelle Le Clerc. 'It would be for the States to decide.
'The current States resolution is to provide a universal pre-school service partly funded by a reduction in a universal benefit. That transformation seemed justified at the time, in the absence of alternative funding, and my committee still believes it is.'
For more information visit at the scheme visit www.gov.gg/preschool.
