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<p>The Government is committed to our goal of ending child poverty in the UK by 2020.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The 2014-17 Child Poverty Strategy outlines our plans to tackle
the root causes of poverty, including worklessness, low earnings and educational failure.
This approach reflects the reality of child poverty in the UK today and is the only
way to achieve lasting change to protect the poorest in society.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>Under this Government, 300,000 fewer children are in relative income poverty,
around 390,000 fewer children are growing up in workless families, the attainment
gap for deprived pupils has narrowed, and we have recently seen the largest annual
fall in unemployment on record.<sup>[1]</sup></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But central
Government cannot, by itself, end child poverty. Where people live matters. This Government
has taken action to give local areas more freedom to do what people want and need
locally including by providing local data that helps users identify specific local
challenges. Local Authorities are required to have their own local child poverty strategies.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Further information is outlined in the Child Poverty Strategy.
Local data is also published in the child poverty basket of indicators.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>Child Poverty Strategy: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-poverty-strategy-2014-to-2017"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-poverty-strategy-2014-to-2017</a></p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Child Poverty basket of indicators: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-poverty-basket-of-local-indicators"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-poverty-basket-of-local-indicators</a></p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Our strategy is not just focussed on children; Universal Credit
will reduce poverty by making work pay and providing an effective route out of poverty.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Government’s welfare reforms will improve the lives of
some of the poorest families in our communities by promoting work and helping people
to lift themselves out of poverty.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Up to 300,000
more people are likely to be in work as a result of Universal Credit, through improved
financial incentives, increased simplicity of the system and increased conditionality.</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Universal Credit aims to ensure that work – even small
amounts – will pay. This removes long-standing barriers that deter people on benefit
from working.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the immediate
pressure on households and has responded with a range of policy interventions including:</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· Providing funding for successive Council Tax freezes, saving
the average household £1,100 during this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>·
Increasing the National Minimum Wage rate to £6.50 from October 2014, the first real
terms increase since 2007.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· The largest ever increases
in the income tax personal allowance, to £10,500 by April 2015, will save a typical
taxpayer £805 per year compared to 2010, and will lift 3.2 million individuals out
of income tax altogether by 2015/16.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] Based on Labour Market
Statistics published in October 2014. In June-August 2014, there were 538,000 fewer
unemployed people compared to a year earlier.</p><p> </p>
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