Date: 11 March 2019

Dear Amber,

The past decade of cuts to both the tax credit system and the universal credit system has had significant ramifications for the people who are in receipt of welfare benefits – including children and young people. Figures released by End Child Poverty last year indicate that 30% of children are growing up in poverty and I am sure you recognise the link between this damning finding and government policies. No child should be failed in this way and every child should have their right to a basic standard of living met, especially in one of the richest countries in the world. As things stand, in 2019/20 child poverty is on course to hit a record high of 34.8%. It is further projected to reach 37% by 2023/24, a 1.1 million rise of children in poverty from 2016/17.

One of the most problematic features of the current benefits system is the inadequate uprating of child benefits with inflation rates. According to the House of Commons Library, between April 2010 and 2019, the real value of Child Benefit will have declined by 16% (when based on CPI). The reality behind these numbers is that families trying to make ends can no longer meet the costs of essentials. Alongside this, the benefit cap is particularly hurting lone parents. According to the Child Action Poverty Group (CPAG), the average loss of income in 2020 for capped lone parent families is expected to be £11,500 a year in a universal credit framework and £9,100 in a tax credit framework.

Policies that specifically target families with children and exacerbate the issue of child poverty must be scrapped if your Government is serious about tackling inequality. The CPAG’s analysis indicates that restoring the uprating of children’s benefits and compensating for the past years of inadequate upraising would keep 400,000 children from poverty after housing costs; meanwhile, reversing the benefit cap could keep an estimated 100,000 children from poverty.

In light of this, I strongly urge you to prioritise immediately ending both the four year benefits freeze and the benefit cap, and, further, to establish a welfare system that doesn’t punish children or their families.  Considering tax income in January outstripped public spending by £14.9bn, the biggest January surplus since records began in 1993, there is no reason not to act.

I look forward to your response.

Your sincerely,