Financial crisis 'give-away' starts today

12.02.00am GMT Mon 5th Jan 2009

Measures announced in the Pre-Budget report take effect today. These include:

Child Benefit up from £18.80 to £20 per week for first child, from £12.55 to £13.20 for subsequent children (increase usually in April);

increases in pension credit and child tax credit also up three months earlier than usual;

all pensioners get extra £60 payment this month (equivalent to bringing forward uprating of the basic state pension from April to January) in addition to £10 Christmas bonus;

£70 payment also goes to children with disabilities; small businesses eligible for £1 billion in export guarantees from this month.

'Give aways' have to be paid for

Whilst we welcome these much-needed increases we are well aware that they will have to be paid for by tax increases in the future.