Departing presidents also get extra help in the first years after they leave office, one reason that Bush's costs were higher than other living ex-presidents.

WSJ: Taxpayer shell out nearly $3.7M for ex-presidents

At present, for example, all families with dependent children receive child benefit, and some quite well-off ones also get extra help through the child-tax credit, which is mainly for poorer families.

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What this means is that these schools get extra money and the help of outside consultants to craft an improvement plan.

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But the department claims pupils requiring extra help will still get it.

BBC: Teachers call for 'reversal' of special needs decision

There's a political calculation for spreading the wealth to other parts of the country, Steve Ellis with the watchdog group, Tax Payers for Commonsense, says the extra programs are there to help get the bill passed.

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If you want to move into a luxury care home or pay to get the best help you will have to cover that extra cost yourself.

BBC: What the cap on care costs doesn't do

This could help Berg get out of the red and perhaps give him a little extra cash to sink into his new band, a sludge metal act called Weird Beast.

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Both companies are eager to get their hands on MCI's lucrative corporate customers, and Qwest badly needs the extra revenue to help pay off its debt.

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