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.
Question
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?
Answer from Laura Trott
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.
Not addressed: Commitment to keeping benefits in line with inflation and lifting the two-child cap
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