<\/strong><\/p> The recent IFS report is positive about the Government\u2019s new approach to tackling the root causes of poverty: they said that \u201cfocusing on a broad range of inputs into life chances and causes of poverty is sensible.\u201d They also add that \u201cfamily worklessness certainly is a sensible thing to track if one wants to reduce the prevalence of low living standards.\u201d<\/p> <\/p> This Government knows that work remains the best route out of poverty. Research shows that around three-quarters of poor children in families that move into full employment exit poverty. We are committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn. Universal Credit, our investment in childcare and the introduction of the National Living Wage will all play an important part.<\/p> <\/p> The Government also recognises that improving skills and progression is the key to making work pay. That is why under this Government we intend to create three million more apprenticeships over the next five years, and to help people move on to better jobs by improving qualifications and providing additional support through Jobcentre Plus.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4533", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Altmann"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Altmann"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-30T13:27:22.41Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies Living Standards, Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2015;<\/i> and how they plan to respond to the findings that nearly 63 per cent of British children living in poverty are in working families.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/225", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Tyler"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Tyler"}
], "uin" : "HL1667"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/167612", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/167612/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I wrote to the Noble Peer on this issue on 4th<\/sup> December 2014. I have placed a copy of this letter in the library of the House and have also attached it to this response.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3893", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Freud"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Freud"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/167612/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "Letter to Lord McAvoy 4.12.14.PDF"}
, "title" : "Letter to Lord McAvoy 4th Dec 2014"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-12-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-12-08T15:43:27.97Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-12-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government, further to the comments by Lord Freud in the Grand Committee debate on the Child Poverty Act 2010 (Persistent Poverty Targets) Regulations 2014, that the facts Lord McAvoy had quoted were \"simply not true\" (HL Deb, 25 November, col GC 263), how they were not true.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4158", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord McAvoy"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord McAvoy"}
], "uin" : "HL3387"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/166639", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/166639/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty as the number of children in poverty is dependent on factors which cannot be reliably predicted, such as the median income.<\/p> <\/p> The Government does measure annual child poverty statistics through the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported since 1998/99; these are available for each financial year up to 2012/13, the latest period for which estimates are available.<\/p> <\/p> There has been no assessment of the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit changes announced since May 2010. Available survey data does not allow the Government to robustly assess the combined effects of tax and benefit policy on households with children.<\/p> <\/p> However, this Government has taken unprecedented steps to assess the effects of its policy decisions across the distribution of household income, by publishing analysis of the cumulative effects of the tax and welfare measures announced at each fiscal event since the June Budget 2010. The latest analysis can be found in Chapter 2 of the attached report.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3893", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Freud"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Freud"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-12-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL3231"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-12-11T16:55:04.767Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they have carried out any forecasts of the level of child poverty between now and 2020; and if so, whether they will be made public.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
], "uin" : "HL3230"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/166640", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/166640/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty as the number of children in poverty is dependent on factors which cannot be reliably predicted, such as the median income.<\/p> <\/p> The Government does measure annual child poverty statistics through the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported since 1998/99; these are available for each financial year up to 2012/13, the latest period for which estimates are available.<\/p> <\/p> There has been no assessment of the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit changes announced since May 2010. Available survey data does not allow the Government to robustly assess the combined effects of tax and benefit policy on households with children.<\/p> <\/p> However, this Government has taken unprecedented steps to assess the effects of its policy decisions across the distribution of household income, by publishing analysis of the cumulative effects of the tax and welfare measures announced at each fiscal event since the June Budget 2010. The latest analysis can be found in Chapter 2 of the attached report.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3893", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Freud"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Freud"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-12-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL3230"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-12-11T16:55:04.907Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they have calculated the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit policy changes announced to date since May 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
], "uin" : "HL3231"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/60569", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/60569/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " This Government remains committed to ending child poverty by 2020. Our approach, based on our published Evidence Review , is to tackle the root causes of child poverty, both now and in the future, by focussing on worklessness, low pay and raising educational attainment. This approach and the actions we propose to take are set out in full in our draft Child Poverty Strategy 2014-17. We will shortly publish the final version of the Strategy.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3893", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Freud"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Freud"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-18T13:53:46.7872314Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the number of children living in poverty.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"}
], "uin" : "HL158"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1341091", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1341091/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/strong><\/p> The Department is committed to providing the best possible support for all Universal Credit (UC) claimants to meet their individual circumstances. Jobcentre and Service Centre staff undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Staff receive on-going learning in their roles and have access to guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals.<\/p> Every care is taken to prevent incorrect payments being made and to ensure that benefits are paid to the correct recipient; we are focused on paying people their correct entitlement from the outset of a claim. The vast majority of benefit expenditure is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring. We are constantly improving our processes and continue to invest in the use of data and analytics to identify fraud and error.<\/p> Following the introduction of the 2012 Welfare Reform Act, all overpayments of UC and new style benefits paid in excess of entitlement are recoverable. The Department seeks to recover benefit overpayments without creating undue financial hardship, and any person who does experience such hardship is encouraged to contact the Department\u2019s Debt Management unit. Where a person cannot afford the proposed rate of repayment it may be possible to negotiate a lower repayment rate.<\/p> It is Government policy that individuals granted pre-settled status have the same access to benefits as they did prior to the introduction of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). They will satisfy the right to reside element of the Habitual Residence Test and can access benefits if they are exercising a qualifying right to reside, such as a worker or self-employed person, and are habitually resident in the UK. As the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is appealing the case mentioned in the report, it would be inappropriate to comment any further<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Will Quince"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-06T16:57:06.46Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-06-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report, Falling Through the Net, by the Child Poverty Action Group, published on 22 June 2021.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1583", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Ham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ms Lyn Brown"}
], "uin" : "23143"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/901065", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/901065/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/strong><\/p> The TUC figures estimate that an extra one million children in working families will be in relative low income in 2018/19 compared to 2009/10 on an after housing cost basis. During this period, there has been an increase in both the child population and the numbers of people in employment. The overall proportion of children in relative low income on an After Housing Cost basis was 30 per cent in both 2009/10 and 2016/17. This figure is not directly affected by both changes in the population and the increase in children in working families so provides a better assessment of what has happened since 2010.<\/p> <\/p> In addition, absolute low income measures, which assess living standards for low income households against inflation, show the proportion of children in absolute low income on an After Housing Costs basis fell from 28 per cent to 26 per cent between 2009/10 and 2016/17. Furthermore, the latest national statistics show the proportion of children in material deprivation and low income has never been lower. Both of these suggest the living standards of children in low income households have been improving in real terms over this period.<\/p> <\/p> Children in workless families are five times more likely to be in low income than those in working families demonstrating that work is the best route out of poverty. The number of people in employment has risen by three million since 2010. Increases in the National Living Wage and Tax Allowances have increased the incomes of working families. Around half of working people who are in low income are self- employed or work part time. Universal Credit has been designed to encourage people into work and to increase their earnings in order to improve their living standards.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3349", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Buscombe"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Buscombe"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-05-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-05-17T15:00:31.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Poverty: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research published by the TUC that estimated that the number of children growing up in poverty in working households will be one million higher in 2018 than in 2010; and how this compares to their own research.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2170", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ouseley"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Ouseley"}
], "uin" : "HL7709"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/783281", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/783281/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/strong>Estimates of the child poverty rate since 2010 are published annually in Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data tables.<\/p> <\/p> These are publicly available in the link shown (see file \u201c4_children_trends.ods\u201d and tabs 4.1tr and 4.2tr).<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/599136/hbai-2015-2016-supporting-ods-files.zip<\/a><\/p> <\/p>