Overview

This bill mandates the UK Secretary of State to establish a target for reducing child poverty across the UK, encompassing various measures of poverty and requiring regular reports to Parliament on progress. It outlines a UK strategy for achieving this target, encompassing various areas like employment support, financial aid, and social services.

Description

The bill sets a legally binding duty on the Secretary of State to define and achieve a "Child Poverty Target" by a specified date. This target comprises multiple components, including:

• Relative Low Income: Reducing the percentage of children in households with income below 60% of the median equivalised household income to under 10%.
• Combined Low Income and Material Deprivation: Reducing the percentage of children in households below 70% of median equivalised income and experiencing material deprivation to under 5%.
• Absolute Low Income: Reducing the percentage of children in households with income below 60% of a fixed "adjusted base amount" (linked to 2010 income levels) to under 5%.
• Persistent Poverty: Reducing the percentage of children experiencing low income (below 60% of median income) in at least 3 out of 4 consecutive years to under 7%.
• Additional Components: The Secretary of State can add further components through regulations.

The bill also requires the Secretary of State to:

• Define terms like "qualifying household," "household income," and "equivalised income" in consultation with the Social Mobility Commission.
• Publish a "UK strategy" detailing measures to reduce child poverty, covering areas like employment support, financial aid, and social services. This strategy will be reviewed regularly.
• Submit biennial reports to Parliament on progress towards the target and implementation of the strategy.

Government Spending

The bill states that all expenditure incurred under this Act, and any increases in spending under other Acts attributable to this Act, will be paid out of money provided by Parliament. No specific figures are provided.

Groups Affected

• Children in low-income households: The bill directly aims to improve their circumstances.
• Parents of low-income children: The bill's measures, such as employment support and financial assistance, will directly affect them.
• Government Departments: Responsible for implementing the strategy and reporting to Parliament.
• Social Mobility Commission: Consulted on the definition of terms and the creation of the UK strategy.
• Parliament: Responsible for overseeing the implementation of the bill through scrutiny of reports and regulations.

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