§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what level of weekly income for a family of two adults with two children aged 10 and four-years-old he has set as the level which must be exceeded for that family to be lifted out of poverty if the main earner is(a) in work and receiving no benefits and (b) out of work and receiving income support, after receipt of housing and council tax benefits; [93318]
(2) what level of income for a couple with the woman pregnant for the first time he has set as the level which must be exceeded for that family to be lifted out of poverty if the main earner is (a) in work and receiving no benefits and (b) out of work and receiving income support, after receipt of housing and council tax benefits. [93319]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe Government's welfare reform programme aims to tackle the root causes of poverty, help people to earn a decent income through work, and provide security for those unable to work. We have announced an ambitious programme of support for families including increases in child benefit, a new Children's Tax Credit, increase in the Working Families Tax Credit and Income Support, and a new Sure Start Maternity Grant of £200. By the end of this Parliament, we will be spending an extra £6 billion a year on children. The Working Families Tax Credit will benefit 1.5 million families who will receive an average of £24 a week more than Family Credit. It will provide a guaranteed minimum income of388W £200 a week for a family with someone in full-time work on the national minimum wage, and more for families with more than one child.
Families with children will, on average, be £740 a year better off as a result of measures in the last two Budgets. We estimate that 800,000 children will be lifted out of poverty as a result. The definition of poverty which underpins this statement was explained in the written answer which the Economic Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 14 April 1999, Official Report, column 244.