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<p>The Government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting
low-income families. We will spend around £276bn through the welfare system in Great
Britain in 2023/24 including around £124bn on people of working age and children.</p><p>
</p><p>From April 2023, we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1% and,
subject to Parliamentary approval, working-age benefits will rise by 6.7% from April
2024, in line with inflation.</p><p> </p><p>In 2021/22 there were 1.7 million fewer
people in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10, including 400,000
fewer children.</p><p> </p><p>With almost one million job vacancies across the UK,
our focus remains firmly on supporting people, including parents, to move into and
progress in work. This approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance
of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the
risks of poverty. The latest statistics show that in 2021/22 children living in workless
households were 5 times more likely to be in absolute poverty, after housing costs,
than those where all adults work.</p><p> </p><p>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.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the voluntary in-work progression offer started
to roll-out in April 2022. It is now available in all Jobcentres across Great Britain.
We estimate that around 1.2m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support
to progress into higher-paid work.</p><p> </p><p>To further support parents into work,
on 28th June 2023, the maximum monthly amounts that a parent can be reimbursed for
their childcare increased by 47%, from £646.35 for one child and £1,108.04 for two
or more children to £950.92 and £1,630.15 respectively. Importantly, we can now also
provide even more help with upfront childcare costs when parents move into work or
increase their hours.</p><p> </p><p>To support those who are in work, 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.</p><p> </p><p>This government understands
the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why we are providing
total support of £104bn over 2022-25 to help households and individuals.</p><p> </p><p>Included
within this, to support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the government
will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents
in April 2024. This will benefit 1.6 million low-income households, who will be around
£800 a year better off on average in 2024-25.</p>
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