Lisa McCabe, a Jersey parent and business owner, claims the government is failing middle-income families by not providing a means-tested benefit to help buy school supplies. She says many working parents in Jersey are struggling to make ends meet due to high costs of living, including nursery fees and children's expenses. Social security minister Elaine Millar responds that she will review the back-to-school bonus scheme ahead of next year, but warns that any increased support would need to be targeted to avoid benefiting those who don't need it. The government has committed to reviewing its benefit landscape in response to calls from charity leaders to tackle poverty on the island.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Middle-income families on Jersey are struggling with the cost of living, according to Lisa McCabe, a mother of two who runs a private health screening clinic in the island. She claims that not being able to access the back to school bonus is a "kick in the teeth" for working parents just above the income threshold. McCabe says she sees many middle-earners struggling every day with stress and burnout due to increasing costs, including higher interest rates and nursery fees. The social security minister has promised to review the back to school bonus ahead of next year, but McCabe argues that this is a "huge failing" on the government's part for not supporting this income bracket.
Written for “Teacher Bonus Payments Limitation” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article presents a sympathetic and critical view of the government's handling of middle-income families' struggles, with quotes from a parent and the social security minister framing the issue as a 'serious problem' or a 'failing on the government's part'. The language used to describe the back-to-school bonus, such as it being a 'kick in the teeth' and not thought through, suggests a critical tone. However, the article also quotes the social security minister providing context and explaining her department's approach, which balances out the negative framing.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score -0.43 for article 93 · logged 2026-07-30
- Published
Middle income families who are struggling with the cost of living are being "failed" by the government, a Jersey parent has said.
asserted
parent → publish → government
It comes as families have shared frustration that a means-tested benefit to help buy school supplies has not been made available island-wide.
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benefit → come → supplies
Mum of two Lisa McCabe said not being able to access the back to school bonus was a "kick in the teeth" for working parents just above the income threshold.
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being → say → threshold
The social security minister said she would review the back to school bonus ahead of next year and that the government was looking at ways to make life more affordable for parents in Jersey.
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life → say → Jersey
McCabe runs a private health screening clinic in Jersey.
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McCabe → run → Jersey
She said "every day" she was seeing parents struggling with the cost of raising a family in Jersey: "There's the level of stress and burnout from people who are on what would have been considered very good wages a few years ago that just aren't making ends meet."
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ends → say → people
She said many middle-earners in the island had been squeezed by an increase in interest rates and the end of mortgage interest tax relief for homeowners.
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earners → say → homeowners
For many working parents, she said, this was made worse by expensive nursery fees and the cost of covering children's hot lunches and after school clubs.
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this → work → school
"There are some really difficult decisions to be made," she said.
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she → be → ?
'People are really struggling'
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People → struggle → ?
McCabe said it was not a case of taking benefits away from anybody who needed them, but that the lack of government support for middle-earning families was a "serious problem".
She said: "I think it is a huge failing on the government's part to not consider this middle bracket where people are really really struggling."
She said parents not eligible for the back to school bonus were particularly frustrated that the benefit was cash, and that where it was spent was not audited by the government.
"If they had done it as vouchers I don't think it would have received the same backlash," she said.
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she → say → backlash
"It's that good idea, it's that good initiative, but the practicalities, the logistics and the perception isn't quite thought through."
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practicalities → think → ?
Social security minister Elaine Millar said the back to school bonus scheme was a pilot and the government would review how well it had worked and whether it had reached the right people before deciding to continue it next year.
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it → say → it
Millar said she was reassessing the "benefit landscape" and had committed to meeting charity leaders who have called for a dedicated taskforce to tackle poverty on the island.
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who → say → island
She said: "I think it's important that we really understand the size and scale of the problem.
"
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we → say → problem
Children from low income families should be being supported by income support."
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Children → support → support
Millar said the whole framework of support for families needed to be looked at but warned that help had to be targeted.
"If we were to massively increase our income support budget that might mean everybody else having to pay more tax including those who are on income support," she said.
uncertain
she → say → support
However, Millar made it clear that raising taxes was "not on anybody's agenda".
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raising → make → agenda
