WIREDGOV

The Welsh Government has told UK Ministers it is disappointed that  the UK draft strategy on Child Poverty fails  to recognise the impact of tax and benefit changes upon child poverty 

In a letter to Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and David Laws, Minister of State for Schools, the Welsh Government has outlined its views on the UK Government’s draft Child Poverty Strategy.

The letter, from Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Jeff Cuthbert and Deputy Minister for Tackling Poverty, Vaughan Gething, says:

“The wider welfare cuts including ‘bedroom tax’ (spare room subsidy) and sanctions will have a negative impact on child poverty.

“We were surprised to see reference to the ‘bedroom tax’ (spare room subsidy) as part of the UK draft Strategy to reduce Child Poverty. We are not aware of any credible evidence that the ‘bedroom tax’ will do anything but hurt and not help reduce Child Poverty. If such evidence exists to rebut the common experience of increased arrears and poverty from the bedroom tax please publish it. We remain convinced that the ‘bedroom tax’ should be abolished.

“IFS research concluded that the poverty-reducing effect of the introduction of Universal Credit will be outweighed by the impact of other benefit and tax reforms. These findings from the IFS research (along with many others) raise significant concerns for Wales in terms of the direct impact on poverty and child poverty.”

Commenting on the draft strategy, Deputy Minister for Tackling Poverty, Vaughan Gething said:

“There is no disagreement that employment provides the best route out of poverty. However the UK draft Strategy does not set out how the UK Government will help people find better paid jobs.It offers little practical help for people in work and in poverty. The majority of children in poverty live in a household where at least one adult works.

“The reality of tax and benefit reform is simply dismissed by the UK Strategy. No credible objective research exists to show that the UK Government’s tax and benefit reforms will lift children out of poverty. Every credible piece of research shows the direct impact of tax and benefit reform is that more children will fall into poverty. We remain concerned that until this is acknowledged and addressed we will continue to see people in low paid jobs struggling to support their children. “

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Child poverty