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<p>This Government has long-championed the principle that the best and most sustainable
way to tackle poverty is by supporting people to move into and to progress in work
wherever possible. Before the pandemic, this approach had seen record levels of employment,
the strongest growth in household incomes for almost 20 years, and 1.3 million fewer
people, including 300,000 children, in absolute poverty, after housing costs compared
with 2010.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Throughout the pandemic, Government departments
have worked together to deliver support to help people cope with its the financial
effects including, for example, on the Covid Winter Support Package. Part of this
package included the Covid Winter Grant and Covid Local Support Grant, together totalling
£269m administered by local authorities to help the most vulnerable stay warm and
well fed, with the principal focus on children.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>The Holiday
Activities and Food Fund, which provides healthy meals, enriching activities and nutritional
education, as well as signposting families to wider local support, has received £220m
of funding for the major school holidays in 2021.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>As we recover
from the pandemic, Departments will continue to work together to deliver a number
of key cross-cutting outcomes linked to the 2020 Spending Review. These outcomes include
addressing poverty through enabling progression into work and increasing financial
resilience. DWP is leading this work in collaboration with other Departments including,
in particular, HMT, DfE, MHCLG and Defra.</p>
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