Hansard

Child Poverty

Volume 455: debated on Wednesday 24 January 2007

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Mr. Laws

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were in poverty whose parents were (a) in work and (b) receiving benefits in each of the last five years. (102178)

(a) Children in poverty (defined as those households with income below 60 per cent. of the GB median) whose parents were in work1, 1997-98 to 2004-05Number (million)1997-981998-991999-20002000-012001-022002-032003-042004-05Before housing costs1.51.51.51.31.31.31.31.2After housing costs1.92.01.91.81.81.71.71.7 1 In work has been defined as where the economic status of the family unit is one of the following:one or more self-employedsingle/couple all in full-time workcouple/one in full-time, one part-timecouple, one full-time, one not workingno full-time, one or more part-time.Source:Family Resources Survey 1996-97 to 2004-05.

(b) Children in poverty (defined as those households with income below 60 per cent. of the GB median) whose parents were receiving benefits, 1997-98 to 2004-05. Virtually all families with children received child benefit therefore the numbers given are the total number of families with children in poverty, including all those with parents in work

Number (million)

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

Before housing costs

3.1

3.1

2.9

2.6

2.6

2.6

2.5

2.4

After housing costs

4.1

4.1

4.0

3.8

3.7

3.5

3.4

3.3

Source:

Family Resources Survey 1996-97 to 2004-05.

Mr. Philip Hammond

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what background data supports the estimate that child maintenance payments lift 100,000 children out of poverty made on page 17 of the White Paper ‘A new system of child maintenance’. (113445)

Mr. Plaskitt

Analysis of data from the 2003-04 Family Resources Survey suggests that if no one received any maintenance, then 100,000 extra children would be living in poverty.

Notes:

Poverty is defined here as living in a household which has income below 60 per cent. of equivalised median income before housing costs.

Figure is rounded to nearest 10,000.