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Social Security Support for Children
23 November 2022
Lead MP
Anum Qaisar
Responding Minister
Guy Opperman
Tags
Social CareTaxationHousingEmploymentNorthern IrelandBenefits & WelfareChildren & Families
Word Count: 12598
Other Contributors: 6
At a Glance
Anum Qaisar raised concerns about social security support for children in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The hon. Member asks for the UK Government to follow Scotland's lead in implementing policies such as free school lunches, expanding early learning and childcare provision, increasing school clothing grants, providing baby boxes, ending the two-child limit on universal credit, lifting the benefit cap, removing sanctions that push families towards destitution, and reversing austerity measures. The speaker calls on the UK Government to follow Scotland's lead by increasing childcare hours, offering a baby box, and instituting a Scottish child payment.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The hon. Member is worried about the rise in food bank use, which she attributes to Conservative financial mismanagement and austerity measures. She mentions that almost 1 million children receive help from food banks and around 4 million children have experienced food insecurity recently. She highlights the Scottish child payment policy as a groundbreaking piece of legislation that could lift 50,000 children out of poverty if implemented across the UK. She also cites harrowing statistics on childcare costs influencing women's decisions to terminate pregnancies. The speaker is concerned about the lack of cross-party support from Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs during the debate on social security for children. She highlights the sadness over not having contributions from these parties despite powerful input from others, including SNP, Democratic Unionist Party, Labour, and independent MPs. The focus was on eradicating child poverty and implementing meaningful social security measures.
David Linden
Lab
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
The Scottish Government are doing a huge amount of incredibly ambitious things to tackle child poverty, but 85% of welfare spending remains under the control of Westminster. It is abhorrent that the Scottish Government have to use their devolved budget to plug gaps in an inadequate state support system caused by Conservative policies. Suggested that now might be a time for a fundamental review of the social security system to ensure churches can focus on their work rather than filling the void created by the state. The UK Government should start measuring child poverty to understand the scale of the issue and address it effectively. The DWP does not routinely look at people's income and expenditure, which is required by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit unions.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The hon. Member agrees with his friend's point about Scottish Government policies despite limited economic levers available to them. He supports the idea that social security for children involves a societal approach and considers wider support for parents. Jim Shannon praised the Scottish Government's commitment to supporting children and acknowledged the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis. He highlighted the high number of families seeking assistance from food banks in his constituency, with many middle-class families now facing financial struggles. Shannon cited statistics showing that 24% or around 95,000 children are growing up in poverty in Northern Ireland, and over 17% in Belfast, Londonderry, and Strabane. He expressed concern about the impact of universal credit on vulnerable families and called for urgency in processing applications for free school meals and uniform grants. Asked if reducing payments by 25% is fair, suggesting an early negotiation of a reduction to 10% would be more manageable and should be an option given to people at the initial stage.
Karen Buck
Lab
Westminster North
Concerned about the impact of poverty and hardship on constituents, particularly in the upcoming winter. Highlighted that maintaining social security benefits with inflation is crucial for tackling poverty. Noted that child benefit has lost 30% of its real-terms value since 2010. Criticized policies such as the two-child limit affecting over 1.3 million children. The Minister is asked to reconsider his stance on absolute poverty figures and the impact of the two-child limit, as larger families are experiencing worsening conditions contrary to previous claims.
Kirsty Blackman
SNP
Aberdeen North
The hon. Member thanked her colleagues for their contributions and agreed that organisations should be commended but not necessary, highlighting the importance of social security in providing a safety net and addressing child poverty. She expressed pessimism about the future due to unprecedented levels of hardship in her constituency and criticized the Government's lack of permanent measures to address inflation. The hon. Member emphasized the need for structural reform and measurement of child poverty as an indicator of governmental concern, advocating for increased benefits such as a £25 per week Scottish child payment, which she argued is affordable given the UK Government's larger budget. The MP highlights that although parents are entitled to 85% of childcare costs, caps set since 2005 have not been adjusted despite rising childcare costs.
Margaret Ferrier
SNP
Renniefield
In the last six months, 320,000 people have had to use a food bank in the Trussell Trust network for the first time. Research found that one in five referrals was for working households. Called for an urgent review of temporary support measures announced in the Budget, as long-term support is needed to provide all children with a good start in life. Families will spend a significant amount on energy bills despite the Government's energy cap, leading to a cold and grim Christmas. The support for families and children needs to be reviewed as a whole, not just single benefits. The Minister is urged to provide reassurance for lone parents facing higher costs of raising a child than couples, despite the report being published before the autumn statement.
Mick Whitley
Lab
Wirral West
Warned that the festive season for over one in five children living in poverty in his constituency will be plagued by cold, hunger and fear. Criticised the Government's real-terms cuts to benefits and punitive sanctions, stating they are trapping millions of vulnerable citizens in poverty.
Government Response
Guy Opperman
Government Response
It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts on her first ever Westminster Hall debate. The Minister acknowledges challenges but highlights that child benefit supports children and families throughout the country, with 8 million families claiming child benefit and 12 million children in receipt of it as of August 2021. From April 2023, the weekly rate will increase by 10.1%, from £21.80 to £24 for the eldest or only child and from £14.45 to £15.90 for every other child. The UK spent approximately £242 billion through the welfare system in 2022-23, including £108 billion on people of working age. Poverty fell for nearly all measures in 2020-21 compared with 2019-20; there were 1.2 million fewer people in absolute poverty before housing costs than in 2009-10, including 200,000 fewer children. Since 2010, nearly 1 million fewer workless households exist in the UK, and 1.7 million more children are living in a home where at least one person is working. The Government's belief that work is the best way to lift children out of poverty has led to initiatives like the national living wage increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over from April 2023, benefiting more than 2 million low-paid workers. The Minister also addressed in-work progression, childcare support for those on universal credit, and highlighted funding allocations such as the extension of the Scottish child payment and the £158 million through the Barnett formula to devolved administrations.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.