Households with children are at a higher risk of poverty than other households. Large families and single parents are at the highest risk of fuel poverty.
'Stealth social security cuts bring neither stability nor security to struggling families and will push child poverty even higher. Growth and better living standards are not achieved by taking money from families with the least. Government must invest in social security support - not cut it - for the most vulnerable, or risk being remembered as the Labour administration under whose watch child poverty continued to rise.'
The package of reforms set out yesterday will result in a net reduction in social security expenditure of £5 billion by 2029/30. This is the biggest cut to disability benefits in a generation, and will push children and families into poverty, and reduce living standards for many.
Since water was privatised in 1989, household water bills have risen faster than the rate of inflation. On 19 December OFWAT announced an average increase in charges of 36 per cent above inflation over the next five years, with considerable variations between companies ranging from a 53 per cent increase for Southern Water customers to 21 per cent for customers of Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water. Across England and Wales, water bills will rise by an average of £123 a year from April.
I had an interesting meeting I wanted to tell you about. I had the opportunity to meet with the Minister for Employment and the Secretary of State for Education at 10 Downing Street.
Two mothers who had children as a result of rape or coercion by former partners have been given permission by the High Court to proceed with a legal challenge against the rules on exceptions to the two-child limit in universal credit (UC).
The Prime Minister must know he can’t scare people into good health, but his words this morning will be chilling for low-income families up and down the country who rely on our social security system for help.
