Social Security Law (Parental Allowance and Death Grant) Amendment Regulations 202- (P.66/2024) – Children's Rights Impact Assessment

1)  Name and brief description of the proposed decision

The subject of your CRIA may be a proposed law, policy or proposition and in accordance with the Law is referred to in this template as the decision'

• What is the problem or issue the decision is trying to address?

• Do children experience this problem differently from adults?

The States Assembly approved P.52/2023 lodged by Deputy Raluca Kovacs which requests the Minister of Social Security to bring forward proposals to provide additional financial support to parents who have a pre-term baby or a baby that requires neonatal care.

Parents who have suffered a stillbirth are entitled to parental benefits under the Employment (Jersey) Law 2003 and the Social Security (Jersey) Law 1974. However, they are not entitled to a death grant, a benefit paid as lump sum to support families with the costs of a funeral or cremation.

The Minister of Social Security is proposing an Amendment by Regulations to the Social Security (Jersey) Law 1974 to act on the request included in P.52/2023 and address the disparity currently affecting parents who have suffered a stillbirth.

The Regulations:

1. provide additional weeks of parental allowance to parents of pre-term babies and babies who require hospital care in the first 28 days of their life (neonatal care), and
2. extend the entitlement to a death grant for parents who have suffered a stillbirth.

2)  Which groups of children and young people are likely to be affected?

Groups of children could include early years, primary or secondary education; young adults; children with additional learning needs; disabled children; children living in poverty; children from particular ethnic backgrounds; migrants; refugees; care experienced children and LGBTQ+ children

The proposed changes introduce additional financial support for parents and do not affect young people or children.

3)  What is the likely impact of the proposed decision on children and on their rights?

• Identify any potential positive OR negative impacts and include indirect impacts on children and their rights as described in the UNCRC

• Will different groups of children be affected differently by this decision?

The proposed decision does not have a direct or indirect impact on children and their rights.

4)  Is a full Children's Rights Impact Assessment required?

If you have identified impacts on children and their rights, a full CRIA should be completed. If no impacts are identified then a Full CRIA is not required, but please explain your rationale and how you reached this conclusion

No direct or indirect impact has been identified on children and their rights. Therefore, a full CRIA is not needed.