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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><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><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><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><p>Around <ins class="ministerial">1.</ins>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.</p><p> </p>
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