Children in Relative Poverty 2021-09-13
2021-09-13
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
No background context provided, but the question addresses a statistical inquiry into child poverty.
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.
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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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.
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?
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.
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Assessment & feedback
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.
Response accuracy