TRACE e-Gov Portal

Title	Description
Carers UK	Advice and support for carers and the people they care for.
Alcohol and young people	You can be stopped, fined or arrested by police if you’re under 18 and drinking alcohol in public.
Apply for short-term care for your child	Apply for a short break from caring for a disabled child, also known as ‘respite care’. Your local council will tell you what clubs and activities are available for children with disabilities in your area.
Apply to adopt a child through your council	If you’re at least 21 years old and can provide a permanent, stable and caring home, you can apply to adopt a child.
Apply to foster a child through your council	Contact your local council If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer.
Arranging child maintenance yourself	You can arrange child maintenance yourself if both parents agree.
Become a child's legal parent	You’ll need to apply for a parental order when you and your partner use a surrogate to have a child.
Child Support Agency (CSA) arrangements are ending	Child maintenance arrangements made through the Child Support Agency (CSA) will be ending by 31 December 2017. If the CSA handles your child maintenance, you’ll get a letter
Child adoption	To be adopted, a child must: - be under the age of 18 when the adoption application is made - not be (or have never been) married or in a civil partnership
Child employment	Contents - Minimum ages children can work - Paying children and young people - Performance licences and supervision for children - Restrictions on child employment - Local council rules for child employment permits
Child maintenance calculator	You can use this calculator to estimate your child maintenance. It can help you to: - agree an amount with the other parent if you’re arranging it yourselves - get an idea of the amount the government would work out for you
Child maintenance if one parent lives abroad	You can ask the court for help if your ex-partner doesn’t pay any child maintenance they owe you. This is known as taking ‘enforcement action’. You can also ask the court to change an existing child maintenance decision or make a new one.
Childcare out of school hours	Check with your local council for information on childcare outside of school hours, including breakfast clubs, homework clubs and after-school clubs.
Early years foundation stage	The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old.
Find a Sure Start Children's Centre	Sure Start centres give help and advice on child and family health, parenting, money, training and employment. Some centres also provide early learning and full day care for pre-school children. Contact your local council to find out about Sure Start centres in England.
Find a registered childminder	Contact your local council to find out about: - registered childminders in your area - becoming a childcare provider or childminder - early years education and family support
Find an Ofsted inspection report	Search for Ofsted inspection reports for: - childminders and childcare providers - schools - colleges and further education providers - children and families services - residential holiday schemes for disabled children
Find free early education and childcare	Find out what free early education and childcare is available in your area.
Find help to get your child back from abroad or arrange contact	If you live in England or Wales, find out who to contact if you want to: - try to get your child returned if they’ve been taken abroad or are being kept abroad without your permission - arrange contact with your child who is in another country - get a court order for contact enforced
Foster carers	Contents - Becoming a foster carer - Help with the cost of fostering - Training and support for foster carers - Types of foster care - Claiming benefits while fostering
Get a police check on someone involved with a child	The police can check if someone involved with a child has a record of sexual offences. You have to visit your local police station to ask them to check someone’s background.
How child maintenance is worked out	You can use the child maintenance calculator to estimate how much your child maintenance payments should be. The calculator is based on the rules used by the Child Maintenance Service. You can also use it if you’re arranging child maintenance yourself.
If your child is taken into care	If your child is taken into care because of a care order, your council will share responsibility for making most of the important decisions about your child’s upbringing
Interest on savings for children	Tell HMRC if, in the tax year, the child gets more than £100 in interest from money given by a parent. The parent will have to pay tax on all the interest if it’s above their own Personal Savings Allowance. You must also tell HMRC if a child has an income over their Personal Allowance, eg from a trust. The child will have to pay the tax on this.
Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISA)	Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) are long-term, tax-free savings accounts for children.
Legal rights for egg and sperm donors	If you’re an egg or sperm donor, you could be the legal parent of any child born from your donation.
Parental rights and responsibilities	Contents - What is parental responsibility? - Who has parental responsibility - Apply for parental responsibility
Pregnant employees' rights	Pregnant employees have 4 main legal rights: - paid time off for antenatal care - maternity leave - maternity pay or maternity allowance - protection against unfair treatment, discrimination or dismissal
Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) Unit	The Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Order (REMO) Unit helps to register and enforce child maintenance orders internationally.
Rights for surrogate mothers	Surrogates are the legal mother of any child they carry, unless they sign a parental order after they give birth transferring their rights to the intended parents.
Surrogacy: legal rights of parents and surrogates	Contents - Overview - Become the child’s legal parent - Children born outside the UK - Pay and leave
The law on leaving your child on their own	The law doesn’t say an age when you can leave a child on their own, but it’s an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Use your judgement on how mature your child is before you decide to leave them alone, eg at home or in a car.
Unpaid parental leave	Eligible employees can take unpaid parental leave to look after their child’s welfare, eg to: - spend more time with their children - look at new schools - settle children into new childcare arrangements - spend more time with family, such as visiting grandparents
Use the Child Maintenance Service or Child Support Agency (CSA)	Child maintenance is financial support towards your child’s everyday living costs when you’ve separated from the other parent. You and your ex-partner can arrange child maintenance yourself if you can agree.
When child maintenance payments stop	Child maintenance payments usually stop when the child reaches 16 (or 20 if they’re in full-time education up to A-level or equivalent). Child maintenance can also stop
Apply for a one-off decision from the Court of Protection	Apply to the Court of Protection if both of the following apply: - you’re concerned about the personal welfare or property and financial affairs of someone who’s lost mental capacity - you want to get a one-off decision, eg to stop someone visiting a person who’s lost mental capacity in a nursing home
Apply to the Mental Health Tribunal	You can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Mental Health) if you’re admitted (‘detained’) as a patient in a psychiatric hospital (‘sectioned’) and want to be discharged.
Contact the Court Funds Office	Contact the Court Funds Office if you have an enquiry about: - an account for a child’s court settlement - an account for someone with a Court of Protection deputy - a payment you’ve made to the Court Funds Office
Deputies: make decisions for someone who lacks capacity	You can apply to become someone’s deputy if they ‘lack mental capacity’. This means they cannot make a decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made. They may still be able to make decisions for themselves at certain times.
Deputies: manage a Court Funds Office account	You may need to manage a Court Funds Office account for someone if you’re their property and affairs deputy and you’re authorised by the Court of Protection to look after money on their behalf.
Enduring power of attorney: acting as an attorney	You can help make or make decisions about someone’s property and money if they appointed you using an enduring power of attorney (EPA).
Get your court funds money when you turn 18	The Court Funds Office will write to you within a month of your 18th birthday if you have money in a court funds account.
Lasting power of attorney: acting as an attorney	You can make decisions on someone’s behalf if they appoint you using a lasting power of attorney (LPA).
Leaving foster or local authority care	Your local council must provide you with support until you’re 25. When you leave care there’ll be a meeting to help you work out what you’re going to do next.
Find out if someone has an attorney or deputy acting for them	pply to search the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registers to see if someone has another person acting on their behalf.
Get court funds money when you recover mental capacity	You’ll be able to access the money in your court funds account if the Court of Protection decide that you’ve fully recovered your mental capacity and can manage your finances.
Get your court funds money when you turn 18	The Court Funds Office will write to you within a month of your 18th birthday if you have money in a court funds account.
Make an urgent or emergency application to the Court of Protection	You can apply to the Court of Protection to get an urgent or emergency court order in certain circumstances, for example when someone’s life or welfare is at risk and a decision has to be made without delay. If the court agrees, you’ll be able to make the necessary decision on behalf of the person who lacks mental capacity.
Make decisions on behalf of someone	Someone can choose you to make and carry out certain decisions on their behalf.
Make, register or end a lasting power of attorney	A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you (the ‘donor’) appoint one or more people (known as ‘attorneys’) to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.
Object to the registration of a power of attorney	You can object to the registration of a lasting power of attorney (LPA). You must tell the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). You may also have to tell the Court of Protection.
Report a concern about an attorney or deputy	Contact the Office of the Public Guardian if you have concerns about an attorney or a deputy, eg the misuse of money or decisions that aren’t in the best interests of the person they’re responsible for.
Use or cancel an enduring power of attorney	power of attorney An enduring power of attorney (EPA) is a document that appoints someone (‘an attorney’) to help manage your property, money and financial affairs.
Getting married abroad	If you’re a British national getting a marriage or civil partnership abroad, you might need certain documents from the UK government, for example a certificate of no impediment (CNI).
Convert a civil partnership into a marriage	You can convert your civil partnership into a marriage at: - a register office - a local registration office - a religious or approved premises where same sex marriages are allowed - a ceremony may follow
Forced marriage	Contact the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) if you’re trying to stop a forced marriage or you need help leaving a marriage you’ve been forced into.
Separating or divorcing: what you need to do	There are certain things you need to do when you separate from your partner in England or Wales.
Get a divorce	Contents - Check you can get a divorce - Grounds for divorce - How to apply - Apply for decree nisi - Apply for a decree absolute - If your husband or wife lacks mental capacity
End a civil partnership	Contents - Check you can end your civil partnership - Grounds for ending a civil partnership - File an application - Apply for a conditional order - Apply for a final order - If your partner lacks mental capacity
Get a legal separation	To get a legal separation, you need to fill in a separation petition and send it to the court.
Annul a marriage	Contents - When you can annul a marriage - Apply for an annulment - Apply for a decree nisi - Apply for a decree absolute
Divorce a missing husband or wife	You can get a divorce or end your civil partnership if you don’t know where your partner is or they’re presumed dead.
Get a copy of a decree absolute or final order	How to get a copy of a decree absolute or final order depends on the information you have about the divorce, dissolution or annulment.
Money and property when a relationship ends	You and your ex-partner can choose how to work out money and property issues if you divorce or end a civil partnership. You can usually avoid going to court hearings if you agree how to split your money and property.
Visas when you separate or divorce	You must tell the Home Office when you divorce or separate from your partner if your visa is based on your relationship. You must then either apply for a new visa or leave the UK.
Contact with your grandchild if their parents divorce or separate	You may be able to get a court order to get access to your grandchild, if a parent stops you seeing them.
Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate	You can choose how to make arrangements for looking after your children if you separate from your partner.
Sign up to Tax-Free Childcare if you’re a childcare provider	Find out how to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare and get a childcare provider account to receive payments from parents using the scheme.
Maternity pay and leave	When you take time off to have a baby you might be eligible for: Statutory Maternity Leave Statutory Maternity Pay paid time off for antenatal care extra help from the government
Paternity pay and leave	When you take time off because your partner’s having a baby, adopting a child or having a baby through a surrogacy arrangement you might be eligible for: - 1 or 2 weeks’ paid Paternity Leave - Paternity Pay - Shared Parental Leave and Pay
Shared Parental Leave and Pay	You and your partner may be able to get Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) if you’re having a baby or adopting a child. You can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between you. You need to share the pay and leave in the first year after your child is born or placed with your family. You can use SPL to take leave in blocks separated by periods of work, or take it all in one go. You can also choose to be off work together or to stagger the leave and pay.
Check if you can get leave or pay when you have a child	Find out: - if you can get maternity, paternity or shared parental leave - how much pay you can get if you take leave
Pregnant employees' rights	Pregnant employees have 4 main legal rights: - paid time off for antenatal care - maternity leave - maternity pay or maternity allowance - protection against unfair treatment, discrimination or dismissal
Maternity Allowance	Maternity Allowance is usually paid to you if you do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay. The amount you can get depends on your eligibility. You can claim Maternity Allowance as soon as you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments can start 11 weeks before your baby is due.
Find before and after school and holiday clubs	Search for before and after school clubs and holiday play schemes in your area. They can be run by a school, or a private or voluntary organisation.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)	Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn. They can affect their: - behaviour or ability to socialise, for example they struggle to make friends - reading and writing, for example because they have dyslexia - ability to understand things - concentration levels, for example because they have ADHD - physical ability
Find a local support group for children, young people and families	Your local council may have details of organisations in your community that can give families and young people help and support.

United Kingdom

Individuals and Families

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