Policy post listings

This is the second in a series of regular briefings which highlight some of the persistent gaps in support that exist for children and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence of these gaps is drawn from our Early Warning System (EWS) which collects case studies from frontline practitioners working directly with families on the problems they are seeing with the social security system.

CPAG's submission to the UK government ahead of the 2021 Budget.

To solve the immediate issues surrounding digital exclusion, CPAG and Children North East urge the government to rapidly speed up the distribution timetable of the 440,000 purchased devices that are currently available to schools and ensure that every child across England has access to a device for learning and other essential items.

The benefit cap grace period gives claimants nine months’ exemption from the cap, starting from when their earnings first fall below the threshold, if in the previous 12 months they have earned over £604 in every month. COVID-19 has meant that hundreds of thousands of households’ earnings have fallen below the threshold. Some did not have a strong work history and were capped immediately, and some were able to find enough earnings to move above the cap. However, many households are stuck in limbo, where they are not yet capped due to the grace period, but are unable to find work as jobs are so scarce.