We'd like your views about the Health in Pregnancy grant and Child Trust Funds

[RowanMumsnet]

We've been asked to canvass your views about the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Bill, which is currently making its way through parliament. The bill concerns three schemes introduced by the previous Labour Government: the Child Trust Fund, the Saving Gateway, and the Health in Pregnancy Grant. These are now deemed to be unaffordable by the Coalition Government and will be brought to a close by the provisions of the Bill.

So if you've any strong (or lukewarm) feelings about the CTFs or the HiP grant, do please post them here. They will be fed back to the Commons Committee that is considering the Bill.

[ISNT]

Thing about the CTF was that the vast vast majority of the accounts to put it into were linked to the stock market. the govt leaflets all advised to put it into accounts linked to the stock market. So it was just really a way of the govt pumping a whole load of taxpayers money into the stock market long term (each one tied in for 18 years).

Also what Lenin said.

[edam]

what Lenin said. The lion's share of the cuts are being borne by women, children and the poor. In what world is this 'fair'? In what way are 'we all in this together'?

Don't really care about child trust funds, they can take them away tomorrow as far as I'm concerned.

[Eleison]

I'm interested in ISNT's question 'Will this come out as "MN mothers support govt spending cuts" I wonder.'

Even tho MN isn't a third sector org, I guess its enlistment by the government into this kind of consultative process might make the provisions of the Compact (the agreement that sets out shared principles and guidelines for effective partnership working between government and the third sector in England) relevant. These include a commitment to

"be clear about whose views are being represented and what those views are. This includes explaining whether views have been gathered directly (and from what audience)..."

which in this case I guess means making clear from the number of hits on the webpage how many people have seen the consultation request, how many have responded, etc.

I used to work in the third sector and I know how desultory the govt's response to consultations can be, even within the relatively formal consultation arrangements of the third sector partnership structures.

I guess that govt has developed good practice arrangements for consultation with non third-sector online communities? It would be really good if MN could link to these, so we know what we are getting involved in and how our responses will be used.

[CheeseandGherkins]

"I just wish they'd bite the bullet and cut winter fuel payments and free bus passes for the wealthy elderly! HRTaxpaying elderlies shouldn't be getting these freebies!"

This

And what Lenin said.

[bobblemeat]

HIP - Waste of money and adds to the general feeling of its impossible to eat healthily and cheaply so why bother trying.

CTF - I'm outraged that someone is handing my 18 year old a big pile of beer money less than a month before A levels begin. I am beyond pissed off about it. I also don't like the implication that its the responsibility of govenment and parents to save big piles of cash for adult children. Why can't they work and save for themselves? It won't be long until all the 'nobody put nothing in my ctf' moaning is added to the general moaning people with no sense of individual responsibility do.

I think winter fuel payments need to be looked at. My friend and her DH both get them even though they both work FT in senior positions and have a holiday home in spain.

[Eleison]

Oh, yes, and what Lenin said, too.

And a question: will the cuts imposed following the Spending Review be assessed for their impact on equality between men and women? The loss of HiP will be another cut targeted at women, which will build futher on the unequal burden for women generated by the emergency budget. A lot of people on MN are very interested in the Fawcett Society's call for judicial review of that budget.

[PlentyOfPockets]

I wish this help had been there when I needed it.

[bobblemeat]

Also, Re CTF I think something should be put in place for children who already have these accounts to enable an adult to stop 18 year olds with a substance abuse problem from getting the money and spending it all on drugs.

[Guacamohohohole]

Honestly... IMO the HiP is a waste of money. I can't see how giving away money will make anyone more healthy in their approach to food, only education will do that. I bought my baby's car seat and isofix system with mine.
The CTF I think is a relatively good idea, I am paying into it for my son and I'm not sure I would have got around to it without the CTF. Especially now with the rise in tuition fees, saving for our children's future is even more important than ever. I don't think it needs to be as much as £250 and I don't think it's necessary for the Government to top it up at age 7. However I think I prefer the idea of a different type of savings account, rather than a Trust Fund, for example a Children's ISA that can be accessed when required rather than at 18, for example for a big school trip, driving lessons etc... We should encourage our children to save as well, I can't imagine any child would put their birthday money into a Trust Fund that they cannot access until their 18.
Finally I have no experience of 'The Saving Gateway', in fact, I've never heard of it?!

[Eleison]

I'd be really interested to have some feedback about how this information has been used, what form of words the agency requesting it has put into whatever report it was contributing to, and indeed which agency exactly it was that requested the thread. The committee? A Whitehall agency?

The tickbox consultation culture has already lead to hosts of inadequate consultations, and if govt (or parl) is going to be using an online community as a quick and easy shortcut to saying that they have consulted with 1000000 women (or whatever number it is that MN claims to reach) then we do have a very strong obligation to oversee how they are doing this.

[WhitePeacock]

Agree HiP grant ill-thought-out and dim - I thought as I came up to the 25 week mark that it would be far better given as dedicated healthy grub vouchers in the all-important first 12 weeks, or scrapped and the money saved used to give pregnant women free swimming sessions as USED TO BE THE CASE for kids and pensioners - something of direct and immediate benefit, not something that as many other posters have said just got blued on general baby stuff (guilty).

CTF - The principle I thought was amazing - the idea that every child was of equal worth to the State and had a future worth investing in. Better though to overhaul the structure of the accounts available, to make them more rewarding and user-friendly for people unused to investment, allow greater contributions etc than to be handing out what seem like arbitrary amounts and topping up at arbitrary age of 7 - that's my tuppence ha'pennyworth.

[RowanMumsnet]

Thanks for all your contributions; we've sent the thread on to the committee that requested it. If we get any feedback, we'll let you know.