Benefits Uprating 2023-11-14
2023-11-14
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Food bank usage is at its highest level, and over the summer months a record number of food parcels were provided to children. Child poverty costs the Government £39 billion per year.
If he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential merits of uprating benefits in line with inflation. Figures from the Trussell Trust show that food bank usage is at its highest ever level, and over the summer months a record 41,878 parcels of food were provided to 21,000 children in Scotland alone. Meanwhile, child poverty costs the Government £39 billion per year in poor health and educational outcomes. In order to tackle child poverty properly, will the Government commit to keeping benefits in line with inflation and lifting the two-child cap?
The Government are committed to supporting households with the cost of living, delivering over £94 billion of support, including uprating benefits by 10.1% this year. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is undertaking his review, and I cannot pre-empt that.
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Assessment & feedback
Commitment to keeping benefits in line with inflation and lifting the two-child cap
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Figures from the Trussell Trust show that food bank usage is at its highest level, with a record number of food parcels provided to children in Scotland. Child poverty costs the Government £39 billion per year.
In order to tackle child poverty properly, will the Government commit to keeping benefits in line with inflation and lifting the two-child cap?
We understand that things are really tough at the moment, which is why we have put in place £900 of cost of living support this year. We also need to work on bearing down on inflation, and we hope to reach the Prime Minister's pledge of halving inflation.
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Assessment & feedback
Commitment to keeping benefits in line with inflation and lifting the two-child cap
Response accuracy