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Pensions Bill

I do not want to go into my family history in the same way as the noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott, but, on these Benches, we fully support the idea that government benefits should not unintentionally penalise those families who support each other with the upbringing of a child. So, to that extent, I go along with the amendment. Having a grandparent or other close relative to rely on for help with childcare, whether it be on a regular basis or for emergencies only, can be a critical factor for a parent in deciding whether or not to go back to work. That, of course, is the best way of ensuring that a child is not brought up in poverty. There are also, unfortunately, a rising number of families in this country where neither parent is capable of bringing up a child for one reason or another. In this situation it is almost certainly the case that it would be better for the child to be looked after by the extended family rather than to be sent into care. But—and there always seems to be a ““but”” in my responses to the noble Baroness’s amendments—I see a small problem in the amendment, to which I am sure the Minister will allude. The amendment appears to make contribution credits payable twice over for the same child, once for the parents and once for the grandparent. I have tabled a later amendment that relates to the reallocation of child benefit—which, in a sense, is linked—and it might be a more appropriate way of dealing with the situation. I am sure the Minister will tell me, perhaps before the noble Baroness tells me I am wrong.