A Conservative Cabinet minister has warned that parents could have their child benefit stopped if their children skip school. In a move to deter truancy, Michael Gove suggested reviving plans to penalise families by docking the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) administered benefit.
The former Secretary of State for Education was speaking at an event organised by the Onward think tank. Now Levelling Up Secretary, he said the idea, which was originally considered by the coalition government under David Cameron but blocked by the Liberal Democrats, could now be re-considered as part of a move to restore "an ethic of responsibility".
Mr Gove said he believed it was important to ensure pupils were in school. However, teaching unions said targeting benefit payments would be counter-productive and just end up hurting children.
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Mr Gove added: "We need to - particularly after Covid - get back to an absolute rigorous focus on school attendance, on supporting children to be in school. It is often the case that it is truanting or persistent absenteeism that leads to involvement in anti-social behaviour.
"So, one of the ideas that we floated in the coalition years, which the Liberal Democrats rejected, is the idea that if children are persistently absent then child benefit should be stopped." His comments, during a question and answer session, followed a wide-ranging speech on the future of conservatism in which he stressed the need to rebuild a sense of community.
The idea was rejected by headteachers' union NAHT, which warned that families needed to be offered help rather than threatened with losing benefits. The Mirror reported, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the trade union as saying: "Not only is this wrong, it is also likely to be counter-productive.
“It is very hard to see how consigning children to poverty and starvation will improve their school attendance. School staff are already deeply concerned by how many children are living in poverty and the impact that has on their academic performance and wellbeing.
“Persistent absence can only be successfully tackled by offering help, not punishment. What is needed are more support services and resources for schools to work with families and to refer to when there are issues."
At present parents can be fined £60 if their children are missing from school without a good reason, which rises to £120 if it is not paid within 21 days.
Those who fail to pay within 28 days can be subject to prosecution, but many parents do not end up in court because councils do not take legal action.
Downing Street said it was not aware of plans to change or alter current policy.
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