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<p>The Government’s assessment of the impact of the benefit freeze is set out in the
analysis of the measures in the Welfare Reform and Work Act published at the time
of the Summer Budget 2015.</p><p> </p><p>As I said in my response to the Noble Baroness’
question on 30 October, the benefit freeze is part of a package of welfare reforms
designed to incentivise claimants into work. These include introducing the National
Living Wage, increasing the tax-free personal allowance, providing 30 hours of free
childcare to working families in England and rolling out of Universal Credit. Analysis
published by the department in September 2017 showed that UC claimants are four percentage
points more likely to have been in work at any point within six months of starting
their claim than the matched sample of JSA claimants (63 per cent to 59 per cent).</p><p>
</p><p>The employment rate now stands at a near record high and the number of children
living in workless households has fallen to a record low.</p>
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