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<p>The latest statistics on the number and proportion of children who are in low income
families by local area, covering the seven years, 2014/15 to 2020/21, can be found
in the annual publication: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-2014-to-2021"
target="_blank">Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2021
- GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to reducing
child poverty and supporting low-income families, and believes work is the best route
out of poverty. With a record 1.3 million vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly
on supporting people to move into and progress in work. This approach is based on
clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it
is full-time – in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving
long-term outcomes for families and children.</p><p> </p><p>The latest available data
on in-work poverty shows that in 2019/20, children in households where all adults
were in work were around six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing
costs) than children in a household where nobody works. Compared with 2010, there
are nearly 1 million fewer workless households and almost 540,000 fewer children living
in workless households in the UK. In 2020/21, there were 200,000 fewer children in
absolute poverty before housing costs than in 2009/10.</p><p /><p>To help parents
into work, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all jobseekers
with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and
Restart scheme. Our plan for jobs is providing results. As of 6 July, we estimate
that at least 520,400 unemployed Universal Credit claimants and Job Seekers Allowance
(JSA) claimants have moved into work during the Way to Work Campaign between 31 January
and the end of 30 June 2022.</p><p /><p>We are also extending the support Jobcentres
provide to people in work and on low incomes. Through a staged roll-out, which started
in April 2022, around 2.1m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support
to progress into higher-paid work. This is on top of the support we have already provided
by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour and giving nearly 1.7 million
families an extra £1,000 (on average) a year through our changes to the Universal
Credit taper and work allowances.</p><p /><p>To further support parents to move into
and progress in work, eligible UC claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered
childcare costs each month up to a maximum of £646.35 per month for one child and
£1,108.04 per month for two or more children. This is on top of the free childcare
offer in England which provides 15 hours a week of free childcare for all 3- and 4-year-olds
and disadvantaged 2-year-olds, doubling for working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds
to 30 hours a week.</p><p /><p>Around 1.9 million of the most disadvantaged pupils
are eligible for and claiming a free school meal, saving families around £450 per
year. In addition, around 1.25 million more infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious
meal at lunchtime as well as over 90,000 disadvantaged further education students. We
are also investing £200 million a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food
Programme, which benefitted over 600,000 children last summer, and we have increased
the value of the Healthy Start Vouchers by a third to £4.25 a week.</p><p> </p><p>On
top of this, the government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost
of living. These are global challenges, that is why the government is providing over
£15bn in further support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This
package is in addition to the over £22bn announced previously, with government support
for the cost of living now totalling over £37bn this year.</p><p> </p><p>This includes
an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, on top
of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing the total funding for
this support to £1.5 billion. In England, the current Household Support Fund is already
providing £421m of support for the period 1 April – 30 September 2022, at least a
third (£140m) will be spent on families with children. Lancashire County Council has
been allocated £9,678,235.22.</p><p />
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