In brief: A Jersey care charity has warned that families earning just above £80,000 could fall through the gaps in proposed government support, calling for a tapered approach rather than an abrupt cut-off. Family Nursing & Home Care made the comments in a submission on the proposed Budget 2027, welcoming new payments but cautioning that one-off measures cannot fix structural affordability problems.
The “cliff edge” concern
Family Nursing & Home Care has raised the alarm over a potential “cliff edge” in the Government of Jersey’s proposed £250 Family Support Payment, warning that households earning just above £80,000 could find themselves ineligible for help despite still struggling with the cost of living.
In its Budget 2027 submission, the charity, represented by chief executive Rosemarie Finley and child and family services operational lead Michelle Reddington, urged consideration of whether eligibility should change abruptly at the £80,000 household income threshold or whether a gradual taper would be fairer. “There is particularly good reason to investigate the ‘cliff edge’: whether eligibility changes abruptly at £80,000 or whether some form of taper would provide a fairer response to household circumstances,” the submission states, as reported by Bailiwick Express.
The charity was careful not to pass judgement on whether the threshold itself is set too high or too low, noting that context matters enormously. Housing costs, childcare bills, the number of dependent children and the money left after essential outgoings all need to be weighed. “Two households with the same gross income can have very different financial circumstances,” Finley and Reddington said.
Who risks being left out
Family Nursing & Home Care identified several groups who could miss out entirely under the current proposals. Families earning just above the income threshold are the most obvious, but the charity also flagged parents with babies or pre-school children who would not benefit from a school-age payment, and newcomers to the island who do not yet qualify for benefits.
Single parents, households carrying debt or facing sudden income losses, and families with high housing or childcare costs were also highlighted as potentially vulnerable. “Housing, childcare and everyday living costs can leave working families with relatively little disposable income, including households which fall outside established eligibility criteria,” the submission noted.
Where the £250 payment does reach eligible families, the charity acknowledged it could help with school expenses, food, clothing, transport and energy, particularly for households with several school-age children. Its ability to address ongoing costs, however, would be limited.
What the charity welcomed, and what it wants next
Not everything in Budget 2027 drew criticism. Family Nursing & Home Care strongly supported the proposed doubling of the Parental Grant to £1,800, which is intended to help around 700 families annually with the immediate costs of birth or adoption. The charity also acknowledged wider government measures including increased subsidised nursery provision, a proposed extension of free school meals and higher child and childcare tax allowances.
But the charity was clear that these steps, welcome as they are, do not go far enough on their own. It called for longer-term support to sustain family incomes during maternity and paternity leave, and for action on the underlying structural pressures driving hardship. “One-off payments cannot on their own address the structural affordability pressures affecting Jersey families,” the submission warned, adding that longer-term action on childcare, food and housing costs, alongside early intervention before problems escalate, was essential.
Source: Bailiwick Express
