Income support for parents of children with chronic conditions and disability: where do we draw the line? A policy review.

Chua, C; Bull, C; Callander, EJ

Income support for parents of children with chronic conditions and disability: where do we draw the line? A policy review.

Chua, C Bull, C Callander, EJ

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Publisher:: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Arch Dis Child, 2022, 107, (6), pp. 591-595
Issue Date:: 2022-06

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Chua, C
dc.contributor.author	Bull, C
dc.contributor.author	Callander, EJ
dc.date.accessioned	2023-02-13T02:32:21Z
dc.date.available	2021-11-07
dc.date.available	2023-02-13T02:32:21Z
dc.date.issued	2022-06
dc.identifier.citation	Arch Dis Child, 2022, 107, (6), pp. 591-595
dc.identifier.issn	0003-9888
dc.identifier.issn	1468-2044
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/166065
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to identify and describe whether parents who have had to stop paid employment to care for a child with a chronic condition or disability are eligible for unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer government-provided financial benefits. DESIGN: Policy review. SETTING: Group of seven high-income countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All policies related to unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer benefits were included. Information regarding the policy type and description, parent/carer qualification, amount of financial support payable, eligibility criteria and information source were extracted. Payment schedules were converted into 2020 US dollars, using Purchasing Power Parities. Maximum monthly benefit payments were compared with standardised per capita monthly costs of living to determine payment support suitability. RESULTS: Fifty-eight policies relevant to unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer benefit supports were identified. Germany had the highest number of welfare policies for individuals not in employment (n=11), followed by the USA (n=6). Parents or carers of children with chronic conditions or disability who were not in employment qualified for 31 of the 58 policies (53.4%). Most policies required a child to have an impaired ability to function, not just a chronic condition or disability. CONCLUSIONS: Greater support for parents and carers to continue their paid employment alongside caring responsibilities is necessary. Graded benefit schedules will also be critical to supporting the spectrum of childhood chronic conditions and disability, and the subsequent spectrum of caring responsibility.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1159536
dc.relation.ispartof	Arch Dis Child
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1136/archdischild-2021-322663
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1103 Clinical Sciences, 1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, 1117 Public Health and Health Services
dc.subject.classification	Pediatrics
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Chronic Disease
dc.subject.mesh	Employment
dc.subject.mesh	Family
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Parents
dc.subject.mesh	Policy
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Chronic Disease
dc.subject.mesh	Family
dc.subject.mesh	Parents
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Employment
dc.subject.mesh	Policy
dc.title	Income support for parents of children with chronic conditions and disability: where do we draw the line? A policy review.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	107
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences
utslib.for	1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-02-13T02:32:19Z
pubs.issue	6
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	107
utslib.citation.issue	6

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to identify and describe whether parents who have had to stop paid employment to care for a child with a chronic condition or disability are eligible for unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer government-provided financial benefits. DESIGN: Policy review. SETTING: Group of seven high-income countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All policies related to unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer benefits were included. Information regarding the policy type and description, parent/carer qualification, amount of financial support payable, eligibility criteria and information source were extracted. Payment schedules were converted into 2020 US dollars, using Purchasing Power Parities. Maximum monthly benefit payments were compared with standardised per capita monthly costs of living to determine payment support suitability. RESULTS: Fifty-eight policies relevant to unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer benefit supports were identified. Germany had the highest number of welfare policies for individuals not in employment (n=11), followed by the USA (n=6). Parents or carers of children with chronic conditions or disability who were not in employment qualified for 31 of the 58 policies (53.4%). Most policies required a child to have an impaired ability to function, not just a chronic condition or disability. CONCLUSIONS: Greater support for parents and carers to continue their paid employment alongside caring responsibilities is necessary. Graded benefit schedules will also be critical to supporting the spectrum of childhood chronic conditions and disability, and the subsequent spectrum of caring responsibility.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/166065