Third Report - Children in poverty: Measurement and targets

Select Committee
Work and Pensions Committee HC 188 22 September 2021
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 37 items (22 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 37 of 37 classified)
Accepted 8
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 8
Deferred 9
Not Addressed 9
Rejected 2
Government response
Fifth Special Report - Children in poverty: Measurements and targets: Government Response to the Committee’s Third Report · published 6 Dec 2021
Read the government response ↗ Response on the tracker
Clear

Recommendations & Conclusions

8 results
8 Conclusion Accepted
Para 41
Ministers have made clear to us that they consider absolute income poverty to be the...
Conclusion
Ministers have made clear to us that they consider absolute income poverty to be the most useful measure. They have been dismissive of the Government’s own measure of relative income poverty. But both measures have advantages and disadvantages. The Secretary … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated its commitment to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling poverty, already reporting progress to Parliament annually through statutory measures and updates. It is also focusing on helping people into work through the £500 million expansion of the Plan for Jobs and cross-government action.
Department for Work and Pensions
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9 Recommendation Accepted
Ministers should reaffirm their commitment to measuring poverty through all four measures of children in...
Recommendation
Ministers should reaffirm their commitment to measuring poverty through all four measures of children in low income as set out in the Welfare Reform and Work Act
Government Response Summary
The government reaffirms its commitment to measuring poverty by stating it will continue to publish all four statutory measures of children in low income, and analysts are reviewing the statistical validity of existing poverty lines and material deprivation indicators.
Department for Work and Pensions
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18 Recommendation Accepted
We heard strong views that the UK now needs a cross-government strategy for child poverty.
Recommendation
We heard strong views that the UK now needs a cross-government strategy for child poverty. We welcome the creation of a new Inter-Ministerial Group to identify practical measures to address the cost of living. But a focus on the cost … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government reiterates its commitment to a long-term approach, statutory reporting, and existing programmes like the Plan for Jobs, but does not commit to a new comprehensive cross-departmental UK strategy for child poverty.
Department for Work and Pensions
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19 Recommendation Accepted
Para 77
The Government should commit to developing and implementing a long-term, cross- departmental strategy to address...
Recommendation
The Government should commit to developing and implementing a long-term, cross- departmental strategy to address child poverty now and in the future. This should be informed by findings from the Inter-Ministerial Group on the cost of living and, more broadly, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states it is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling poverty, reports progress annually, and uses existing measures and programmes like the Plan for Jobs, but does not commit to developing a new, specific cross-departmental strategy.
Department for Work and Pensions
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20 Recommendation Accepted
Para 83
Past income-based targets for child poverty have helped to focus minds across Government.
Recommendation
Past income-based targets for child poverty have helped to focus minds across Government. But, like all targets, they can ‘distort’ the policy response, and some witnesses believed that this happened in the final years of the 2010/11 child poverty target … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government claimed it is already committed to tackling poverty and reports progress to Parliament through existing statutory requirements and updates. It did not commit to a new broad set of targets or a new clear strategy with measurable objectives, instead emphasizing its focus on work and existing initiatives like the Plan for Jobs.
Department for Work and Pensions
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21 Recommendation Accepted
As part of a new cross-departmental strategy, the Government should set clear, ambitious and measurable...
Recommendation
As part of a new cross-departmental strategy, the Government should set clear, ambitious and measurable objectives and plans for reducing child poverty. The Government should report to Parliament annually on progress in implementing its child poverty objectives and plans. (Paragraph … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government claimed it already reports progress to Parliament annually on child poverty via existing statutory responsibilities and updates. It did not commit to a new cross-departmental strategy with clear, ambitious, and measurable objectives, instead highlighting its focus on employment initiatives.
Department for Work and Pensions
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24 Conclusion Accepted
Para 96
The 12-month delay in producing income poverty statistics means that DWP data on the proportion...
Conclusion
The 12-month delay in producing income poverty statistics means that DWP data on the proportion of children in low income for the year to March 2021 will not be published until March 2022. We were encouraged to hear that DWP … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states it remains committed to publishing the annual HBAI publication in March 2022 and continues to monitor and collect evidence, with DHSC coordinating Shared Outcomes Fund project publication decisions, but does not commit to new research on the pandemic's impact.
Department for Work and Pensions
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31 Recommendation Accepted
Para 114
To improve its measurement of income-related poverty, DWP should work with others, including the Office...
Recommendation
To improve its measurement of income-related poverty, DWP should work with others, including the Office for National Statistics, relevant academics, and children’s charities to identify a list of inescapable household costs and define options for how data on these might … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government outlined the various costs the Family Resources Survey already collects and plans to introduce new questions on debt repayments. However, it did not commit to the broader collaborative work to identify all inescapable household costs or report back on these by June 2022.
Department for Work and Pensions
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