Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Children in Relative Poverty

Monday 13 September 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • National statistics show 19% of children in households with at least one employed adult were in relative poverty before housing costs in 2019-20.
  • The Government aims to reduce poverty risk through full-time work and improving economic conditions.
  • Moving into work alone may not be sufficient to address the issue of in-work poverty.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Children & Families
Context

No background context provided, but the question addresses a statistical inquiry into child poverty.

Question

What recent estimate she has made of the proportion of children in relative poverty where at least one adult in that household is in employment.

Answer from Will Quince

National statistics on the number and percentage of children in low-income households are published annually in the “Households below average income” publication. In 2019-20, 19% of children living in households where at least one adult is in employment were in relative poverty before housing costs.

Answered
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Q2 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Economy Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The question arises from concerns about the removal of the £20 universal credit uplift, which is expected to exacerbate in-work poverty for many families.

Question

Over 27% of children in my Blaydon constituency live in poverty and many are in working families. The £20 universal credit uplift removal will push working families deeper into poverty, so what will the Government do to tackle the crisis of in-work poverty?

Answer from Will Quince

We know—all evidence suggests—that full work dramatically reduces the risk of poverty. As our economy improves, we will increasingly focus on progression to improve opportunities for those in low-paid work and support them towards financial independence; however, moving into work is not always enough to lift people out of poverty. That is why we have the independent in-work progression commission, which published its report over the summer on the barriers to progression for those on persistent low pay. It makes a number of recommendations for the Government that we will consider very carefully and respond to later in the year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the issue but does not provide specific actions or commitments to address the crisis of in-work poverty, focusing instead on future considerations.

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