Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the UK's commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 1, what progress his Department has made on reducing the number of people living in poverty by more than half by 2030.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government has overseen significant falls in absolute poverty since 2009/10. There were 1.7 million fewer people in absolute low income after housing costs in 2021/22 compared to 2009/10, a decrease of 4 percentage points. This decrease includes 400,000 fewer children (a decrease of 5 percentage points), 1 million fewer working age individuals (a decrease of 5 percentage points) and 200,000 fewer pensioners (a decrease of 2 percentage points).
The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. This is reflected in the £276bn we will spend through the welfare system in Great Britain in 2023/24, including around £124bn on people of working age and children, and reflecting an increase in benefit rates and State Pensions of 10.1% last April. From this April, and subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by a further 6.7%, in line with inflation. The increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rates will give further help to 1.6 million low-income households.
With over 900,000 job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting individuals to move into and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the important role that work - particularly where it is full-time – can play in reducing the risks of poverty. The latest statistics show that, in 2021/22, working age adults living in workless families were 7 times more likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than working age adults in families where all adults work.
To help people into work, our core Jobcentre offer provides a range of options, including face-to-face time with work coaches and interview assistance. In addition, there is specific support targeted towards young people, people aged 50 plus and job seekers with disabilities or health issues.
To support those who are in work, the voluntary in-work progression offer is now available in all Jobcentres across Great Britain, providing an estimated 1.2 million low paid workers on UC access to personalised work coach support to help them increase their earnings. In addition, on 1 April 2024, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the NLW.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UNICEF report Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth, published on 6 December 2023, and its finding that the UK has seen the greatest increase in child poverty out of the 40 countries featured in the report; and what steps they are taking to prevent a further increase.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The most recent available data, covering 2021/22, shows that relative poverty rates for children remain unchanged since 2009/10. On an absolute basis, which better represents changes to actual living standards, the rate after housing costs has fallen by 5 percentage points across the same period. There were 400,000 fewer children in absolute poverty after housing costs in 2021/22 compared to 2009/10.
The Government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families. From April, and subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by a further 6.7% in line with inflation and the increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rates will give further help to 1.6 million low-income households.
The Government has always believed that work is the best way to help families improve their financial circumstances. This approach is based on clear evidence about the important role that work - particularly full-time – can play in reducing the risks of poverty. In the financial year 2021 to 2022, children living in households where all adults work were around 5 times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households.
This is why, with over 900,000 vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on providing parents with the support they need to move into and progress in work. Parents on Universal Credit who are moving into work or increasing their hours can now get additional support with upfront childcare costs, and we have also increased the childcare costs that they can claim back by nearly 50%, up to £951 a month for one child and £1,630 for two or more children.
To support those who are in work, on 1 April 2024, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for people aged 21 and over by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour, an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earning of a full-time worker on the NLW.
The Government is providing support worth £104 billion over 2022-23 to 2024-25 to help households with the high cost of living, this clearly shows that we will always act to ensure that the most vulnerable get the support they need, and we will continue to keep all our existing programmes under review in the usual way.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps are they taking to prevent children falling into poverty during future economic crises, in response to the conclusions of the UNICEF report Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth, published on 6 December 2023.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The most recent available data, covering 2021/22, shows that relative poverty rates for children remain unchanged since 2009/10. On an absolute basis, which better represents changes to actual living standards, the rate after housing costs has fallen by 5 percentage points across the same period. There were 400,000 fewer children in absolute poverty after housing costs in 2021/22 compared to 2009/10.
The Government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families. From April, and subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by a further 6.7% in line with inflation and the increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rates will give further help to 1.6 million low-income households.
The Government has always believed that work is the best way to help families improve their financial circumstances. This approach is based on clear evidence about the important role that work - particularly full-time – can play in reducing the risks of poverty. In the financial year 2021 to 2022, children living in households where all adults work were around 5 times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households.
This is why, with over 900,000 vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on providing parents with the support they need to move into and progress in work. Parents on Universal Credit who are moving into work or increasing their hours can now get additional support with upfront childcare costs, and we have also increased the childcare costs that they can claim back by nearly 50%, up to £951 a month for one child and £1,630 for two or more children.
To support those who are in work, on 1 April 2024, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for people aged 21 and over by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour, an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earning of a full-time worker on the NLW.
The Government is providing support worth £104 billion over 2022-23 to 2024-25 to help households with the high cost of living, this clearly shows that we will always act to ensure that the most vulnerable get the support they need, and we will continue to keep all our existing programmes under review in the usual way.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution at Prime Minister's Questions on 10 January 2024, Official Report, column 297, on what evidential basis he said that the number of people living in poverty has reduced by 1.7 million since 2010.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest available National statistics on Households Below Average Income covering 2021/22 are here.
These statistics show that there were 1.7 million fewer people in absolute low income after housing costs in 2021/22 compared to 2009/10, a 4 percentage-point decrease. This includes 400,000 children, 1 million working age individuals and 200,000 pensioners.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many families have received funding from the Household Support Fund in (a) Manchester, Gorton constituency and (b) Greater Manchester since October 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There have been four Household Support Fund (HSF) schemes to date, with the current iteration running until the end of March 2024. Management Information (MI) was published for HSF1-3 following the completion of each scheme and can be found here.
Household Support Fund management information: 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The latest MI covering HSF3 was published in August 2023. We will similarly look to publish MI for the entirety of HSF4 following scheme completion and subject to quality assurance processes. An evaluation of the current HSF4 scheme is underway. This will seek to understand the delivery and impacts of scheme funding.
The number of awards is reported by Authorities, and so data at a constituency level is not available. A total of 1.8m HSF awards were provided to residents in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester (Manchester, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Salford and Trafford) during HSF1-3,including 420,000 in Manchester City Council. The number of awards, as reported by Authorities, may not represent the number of people helped as some may have received multiple awards.
No assessment has been made of the impact of the Household Support Fund on child poverty. The HSF is an intentionally flexible scheme designed to enable Local Authorities to respond to local need. Local Authorities are encouraged through our scheme guidance to consider the needs of households including families with children of all ages.
A total of £80.7m has been spent in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester during HSF1-3 of which an average 69% has been spent on families with children. This includes 19.4m spent in the Manchester Local Authority of which 52% has been spent on families with children. Overall, Greater Manchester has been allocated £134.6m over all 4 rounds of the Household Support Fund including £32.3m for the Manchester Local Authority. Information regarding HSF4 funding allocations can be found here.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Household Support Fund on levels of child poverty in Manchester, Gorton constituency since October 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There have been four Household Support Fund (HSF) schemes to date, with the current iteration running until the end of March 2024. Management Information (MI) was published for HSF1-3 following the completion of each scheme and can be found here.
Household Support Fund management information: 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The latest MI covering HSF3 was published in August 2023. We will similarly look to publish MI for the entirety of HSF4 following scheme completion and subject to quality assurance processes. An evaluation of the current HSF4 scheme is underway. This will seek to understand the delivery and impacts of scheme funding.
The number of awards is reported by Authorities, and so data at a constituency level is not available. A total of 1.8m HSF awards were provided to residents in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester (Manchester, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Salford and Trafford) during HSF1-3,including 420,000 in Manchester City Council. The number of awards, as reported by Authorities, may not represent the number of people helped as some may have received multiple awards.
No assessment has been made of the impact of the Household Support Fund on child poverty. The HSF is an intentionally flexible scheme designed to enable Local Authorities to respond to local need. Local Authorities are encouraged through our scheme guidance to consider the needs of households including families with children of all ages.
A total of £80.7m has been spent in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester during HSF1-3 of which an average 69% has been spent on families with children. This includes 19.4m spent in the Manchester Local Authority of which 52% has been spent on families with children. Overall, Greater Manchester has been allocated £134.6m over all 4 rounds of the Household Support Fund including £32.3m for the Manchester Local Authority. Information regarding HSF4 funding allocations can be found here.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many awards have been made through the Household Support Fund in (a) Manchester, Gorton constituency and (b) Greater Manchester since October 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There have been four Household Support Fund (HSF) schemes to date, with the current iteration running until the end of March 2024. Management Information (MI) was published for HSF1-3 following the completion of each scheme and can be found here.
Household Support Fund management information: 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The latest MI covering HSF3 was published in August 2023. We will similarly look to publish MI for the entirety of HSF4 following scheme completion and subject to quality assurance processes. An evaluation of the current HSF4 scheme is underway. This will seek to understand the delivery and impacts of scheme funding.
The number of awards is reported by Authorities, and so data at a constituency level is not available. A total of 1.8m HSF awards were provided to residents in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester (Manchester, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Salford and Trafford) during HSF1-3,including 420,000 in Manchester City Council. The number of awards, as reported by Authorities, may not represent the number of people helped as some may have received multiple awards.
No assessment has been made of the impact of the Household Support Fund on child poverty. The HSF is an intentionally flexible scheme designed to enable Local Authorities to respond to local need. Local Authorities are encouraged through our scheme guidance to consider the needs of households including families with children of all ages.
A total of £80.7m has been spent in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester during HSF1-3 of which an average 69% has been spent on families with children. This includes 19.4m spent in the Manchester Local Authority of which 52% has been spent on families with children. Overall, Greater Manchester has been allocated £134.6m over all 4 rounds of the Household Support Fund including £32.3m for the Manchester Local Authority. Information regarding HSF4 funding allocations can be found here.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the number of children living in poverty in Poplar and Limehouse constituency.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest available data showing the number and proportion of children in absolute and relative poverty before housing costs by parliamentary constituency can be found in the children in low-income families local area statistics. Absolute poverty after housing costs is the government’s preferred measure as the poverty line is fixed in real terms so is not affected by overall median income.
Households Below Average Income (HBAI) provides estimates of children in low-income families only at national and regional levels but can’t provide estimates by parliamentary constituency due to the sample size of the survey at that level.
Children in Low Income Families (CiLIF) is constructed using administrative data and calibrated to the HBAI regional estimates for consistency at that level. This use of administrative data provides more granular local area information not available from HBAI alone.
More background information on CiLIF and the methodology can be found here.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of households that are (a) affected by the two-child limit and (b) living in poverty.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest available statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children are published here: Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children, April 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
National statistics on the number and percentage of people in poverty, including regional-level data, is published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. This can be found here. The most recent figures state that in the year 2021/22 there were 11.4 million people living in a household below the absolute poverty threshold after housing costs. This represents a decrease of 1.7 million people since 2009/10.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential implications for her policies on provision of free school meals of universal school meals roll-out in (a) London, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
This government has extended Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century. Around 2 million pupils are currently eligible for benefits-related FSM. Close to 1.3 million additional infants receive free and nutritious meals under the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) policy. Taken together, over one third of pupils are receiving free meals.
The department invests over £1 billion in support of these policies. Schools are currently funded at £480 per eligible pupil per year as a factor value within the National Funding Formula. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. For UIFSM, schools receive £2.53 per meal per child. This was uplifted from £2.41 for the current academic year. Further Education institutions have received the same uplift.
In setting an income threshold for FSM, the government’s judgement is that the current level enables the most disadvantaged children to benefit while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools and the taxpayer. It is right that provision is aimed at supporting the most disadvantaged, those out of work, or those on the lowest incomes. The department does not have any plans to further extend provision at this time. The department will keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who need them most. The department facilitates this by working with other government departments to monitor the cost of living and impact on disadvantaged families and considering a wide range of evidence, including findings produced by the Child Poverty Action Group. In addition to this, the department regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders including school leaders, pupils and catering organisations.