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WQ.301/2025
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY H.L. JEUNE OF ST. JOHN, ST. LAWRENCE AND TRINITY QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 30th JUNE 2025
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 7th JULY 2025
Question
"Will the Minister advise what support, if any, is available for women who have had a baby but who have not reached the threshold of Social Security contributions stated in the criteria for Parental Allowance?"
Answer
The Social Security scheme provides two contributory benefits to parents - Parental Grant and Parental Allowance and protects a parent's contribution record through Home Responsibility Protection (HRP) credits. In addition, support for parents is available through the family friendly measures provided in the Employment Law, and through the Income Support scheme. Each of these are described below.
The Parental Grant is a one-off lump sum payment (currently £849.01) aimed at providing financial support with the general costs associated with having a new baby or child – one grant is paid per baby or child. To receive the grant either parent needs to have been working and paid 3 months (one quarter) of social security contributions at some point in the past.
The Parental Allowance is a weekly payment (currently £283.01 per week) aimed at supporting working parents who are taking time off work to look after their new baby or child. There is a total of 32 weeks of the benefit available, shared between the parents. The contribution rules look at each parent's social security record separately and require 3 months (one quarter) of contributions to have been made (or credited) in the quarter the year before the baby's due (or adoption) date to receive a full allowance. A contribution record is provided for people claiming social security benefits such as STIA and for people in work. There are limited reasons why someone wouldn't have a contribution record that would enable them to apply for parental allowance – this would include people who have recently arrived in Jersey, as well as people who don't work or only have very limited part time work.
Well over 90% of new parents qualify for one or more of these benefits. Employment, Social Security and Housing officers follow up on any family where a baby has been born recently if the Department has not received any benefit application. This helps to ensure that all parents receive appropriate support.
If a parent stays at home to care for a young child and is not receiving parental allowance, they can still receive Home Responsibility Protection (HRP) credits. These credits maintain the pension record of the parent and can be applied for up to ten years in total.
In April 2025, the Minister for Social Security extended the scope of HRP credits. Parents who stay at home to care for a child under free nursery education age will now be able to use HRP credits to qualify for Parental Allowance for a future child. [1]
Additional support for parents includes:
Employment Law Rights
Working parents receive the following rights under Employment law. (Note – these are minimum requirements under the law, actual arrangements will vary between employers).
• 52 weeks of parental leave – including 6 weeks of paid leave for each parent. Leave can be taken either in one block or a series of blocks over a two-year period.
• Time off work to attend ante-natal or pre-adoption appointments.
• Breastfeeding rights, both in terms of breaks and workplace facilities.
• The ability to request a variation in terms and conditions of employment to enable breastfeeding to take place.
Income support
If parents on a lower income need financial help they may be able to claim Income Support.
A first child component of up to £103.60 per week is available, with up to an additional £87.29 provided for a second or subsequent child. Accommodation components also take account of the household size, including the number of children.
Healthy Start Scheme: Food Vouchers for Pregnant Women and young children
The Healthy Start Pregnancy Scheme provides low-income pregnant women and parents with a young child with vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables, to support access to good nutrition. This scheme is available for Income support families from when a woman is pregnant and has had their first midwife appointment and continues until the child has their 4th birthday.