In his Pre-Budget Report, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a number of measures to help low-income families.

These included:

• Bringing forward increases in child benefit from April 2009 to January 2009. This will see weekly child benefit for oldest children rise from £18.80 to £20, and for younger children, from £12.55 to £13.20.
• Bringing forward an increase in the child element of the child tax credit - currently £2,085 - to £2,235 a year from April 2010 to April 2009.
• Making permanent a £600 increase in tax allowances for basic rate taxpayers, introduced this year, which will increase by £130 in April next year. 
• A £70 one-off winter fuel payment for parents of disabled children.

However, the Child Poverty Action Group and End Child Poverty have described the pre-budget report as a "missed opportunity".

Further information on the Pre-Budget Report is available on the HM Treasury website.