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<p>It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of the effect of the reduction
of the Universal Credit taper rate or the increase in work allowance on the number
of children in poverty. Projecting the impacts of policies on poverty involves projecting
forward the impact of the pandemic on every household’s income, which is not possible
to do with confidence, not least because the latest comprehensive data on net incomes
for households is from 2019-20, before the pandemic began. However, we do know that
these changes will leave almost two million workers around £1000 better off per year
on average.</p><p> </p><p>Official child poverty statistics covering the period 2020/21,
will be published in March 2022, as part of the Department’s (a) Children in Low Income
Families and (b) Households Below Average Income publications, subject to the usual
checks on data quality.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has always believed that the
most sustainable way to lift children out of poverty is by helping their parents to
move into and to progress in work wherever possible. Our 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. 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
were almost 1 million fewer workless households and almost 580,000 fewer children
living in workless households in the UK in September 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore,
our multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs, which has recently been expanded by £500 million,
will help people across the UK to find work and to boost their wages and prospects.</p><p>
</p><p>However, we recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter
as we continue our recovery from the impacts of the COVID pandemic, which is why vulnerable
households will be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with
essentials. This includes £421 million for the Household Support Fund, which will
help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials.</p><p>
</p><p>We have also increased the value of Healthy Start Food Vouchers from £3.10
to £4.25, helping eligible low income households buy healthy foods such as milk, fruit
and vitamins, and are investing over £200m a year from 2022 to extend our successful
Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides enriching activities and healthy
meals to children in all Local Authorities in England.</p><p> </p><p /><p> </p>
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