HARMAN AND COOPER: WOMEN BETTER OFF

Minister for Women Harriet Harman and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper today said that this year’s Budget means more women will be better off in work, at home, and in retirement.

Highlights for women from the Budget include:

1. A £12.5million fund to encourage women entrepreneurs to start up new businesses
2. Child benefit for the first child increased to £20 per week
3. Child Tax Credit increased by £50 a year
4. Disregard Child Benefit when calculating Housing and Council Tax Benefits, which will benefit some families by up to £17 a week.
5. Loans up to 50 per cent of property price offered for key workers (the majority of whom are women) in shared ownership schemes
6. Increase Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners by up to £100.

Ms Harman said:

This government has listened to women and understands the revolution that has been taking place in women’s lives, in families and in the workplace because of more women going out to work. These steps will help families, lifting a further 250,000 children out of poverty.”

Ms Cooper said:

If women started businesses as the same rate as men, there would be 150,000 extra start-ups each year in the UK.

“But, many women do not get the business support they need to get started or to help their business grow. That’s why the new business support set out in the Budget is good news for the economy as well as for women entrepreneurs”

Further details on the benefits for women are in the new factsheet “Budget 2008: What does it mean for women and equalities groups” which will be available from www.equalities.gov.uk

Media enquiries

HM Treasury Press Office 020 7270 5238

For Harriet Harman and the Government Equalities Office please contact Victoria Francis on 0207 276 0996 / 07920 213832