Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Action for Children’s report, Childhood during coronavirus: protecting children from the effects of poverty, published in September 2020, what plans she has to implement a UK-wide child poverty strategy.

Our recent focus has been on supporting people financially during these unprecedented times. We have injected more than £9 billion into the welfare system in response to Covid-19, increasing Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by up to £1,040 for this financial year. Our overall ambition is unchanged. We plan to tackle child poverty through our welfare system which works with the labour market to encourage parents to move into, and progress in work, wherever possible.

Our approach is based on clear evidence that work, particularly where it is full-time, substantially reduces the risks of poverty. The most recent data showed that there was only a 3% chance of children being in absolute poverty (before housing costs) if both parents worked full-time, compared with 47% where one or more parents in a couple was in part-time work. To support economic recovery, the Chancellor recently announced a £30 billion Plan for Jobs to protect, support and create jobs.