Families and children

Adoption Allowance

Adoption Allowance (ADA) is a benefit which is intended to help you take time off work to be with the child or children you are adopting. ADA may be paid for a maximum of 39 weeks, starting at the earliest 2 weeks before the child (or children) is placed with you and at the latest the day after placement. Either you or your partner can make the claim to ADA.

Child Benefit

You can get Child Benefit if you are responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training). Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. If two people claim Child Benefit for the same child there are rules which determine which of them is entitled to Child Benefit.

Employed Person's Allowance

EPA is a benefit available to families who are treated as being in remunerative work, for a certain number of qualifying hours per week, dependant on their circumstances, and have a low income, that is an income which is below the prescribed amount.

Alternatively, EPA is available to single persons, or members of a couple who:

• Have an illness or disability that puts them at a disadvantage in getting a job
  
  
• Are starting to work, or are already working, for at least 16 hours per week
  
  
• Are receiving certain incapacity or disability benefits, or have been at a certain point in the past

Guardian's Allowance

Guardian's Allowance (GA) is payable to you (as long as you are not the parent), if you are responsible for a child or young person and in receipt of Child Benefit and special circumstances apply to that child or young person.

GA is not payable:

• If the child or young person is legally adopted prior to the claim for GA being made
  
  
• To statutory or voluntary organisations caring for the child or young person

Maternity Allowance

Maternity Allowance (MA) is payable to you, if you:

• Are pregnant and have 11 weeks or less before the baby is due
  
  
• Have recently given birth, and you can satisfy the basic qualifying conditions

Maternity Allowance is payable for a maximum of 39 weeks.

Milk

Milk is available free to expectant mothers and all children under school age in families getting either Income Support, Employed Person's Allowance or Income based Jobseeker's Allowance.

Although you may not be listed in one of the above categories, you may still be able to obtain relief from or help with Department of Health and Social Care charges.

Paternity Allowance

Paternity Allowance (PA) may be payable if you take up to 2 weeks off work:

• To support the mother of a new born baby, or to look after the baby
  
  
• To support your partner who is adopting a child or to look after the child

You can choose to claim PA for 1 or 2 whole weeks at any time up to 8 weeks after:

• The child's birth
  
  
• The date the child is placed with you

School meals

Our school meals service provides a good range of healthy meal choices in order to fulfil some of the daily nutritional requirements of primary school children. Meals meet minimum requirements for protein, zinc, iron and vitamins and don't exceed maximum recommended levels of salt, sugar and fat.