WELFARE - MAIN POINTS

Social welfare payments up by 3 per cent from mid-June.

Social welfare payments up by 3 per cent from mid-June.

Weekly child dependant allowances to be paid for the first 13 weeks of employment to long-term unemployed people who get a job.

More people to be allowed to keep a portion of their weekly welfare payment for up to two years after getting a job or becoming self-employed.

Some pensioners who don't have social welfare pensions to be eligible for free electricity, telephone rental and television licences.

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Monthly Child Benefit to rise by £2 per child from

September.

People on the Carers Allowance to get an extra £5 a week.

Moves to be considered to help old people who are outside the tax net to buy security alarms.

A one-parent family payment to replace the lone parent's allowance and deserted wife's benefit (for new claimants) from next January.