Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Morgan Excerpts

Monday 26th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

10. What assessment she has made of trends in the number of in-work households living in poverty.

[Stephen Morgan (Portsmouth South) (Lab)]

24. What assessment she has made of trends in the numbers of in-work households living in poverty.

--- Later in debate ---

[Kit Malthouse]

May I, too, salute the hon. Gentleman’s constituent? I did not know him, but he sounds like a remarkable man. I am sure he will be missed by those who loved and knew him.

The hon. Gentleman asked about the two-child limit. In our welfare reforms, we have tried to establish for those who require assistance through the welfare system the same choices that are made by those who do not have that kind of assistance. Having said that, we have ensured that nobody who currently has more than one child will suffer, and of course all children will continue to receive child benefit, irrespective of their status.

[Stephen Morgan]

As we have already heard, the majority of children living in poverty live in households in which at least one person works, so why does the Minister refuse to end the freeze on the majority of in-work social security support and to provide the support that working families so desperately need?

[Kit Malthouse]

We believe that the solution for working families is universal credit and that people should take control of their own lives and work hard so that they can build a life for themselves and their families. That is exactly what we are trying to achieve through our welfare reforms.