The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton announced the new measures the Government claims will lift thousands more children in the UK out of poverty - by getting more parents into work.
Working for Children sets out how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) proposes to help parents to lift themselves and their children out of poverty through employment. It was published alongside the Households Below Average Income figures for 2005/2006, which showed a staggering rise in the number of children in relative poverty in the UK: a rise of 100,000 on the previous year (2004/2005).
The measures include:
Piloting a New Deal for Families approach, so more families get access to the support normally available to lone parents only. This will involve extending the support available in the New Deal for Lone Parents Plus pilot areas to all families with children in those areas.
Extending the New Deal for Lone Parents Plus scheme, to help more lone parents benefit from this service and signal initial support, ahead of a period of consultation, for recommendations coming from David Freud to increase obligations on lone parents with older children to look for work.
Providing more support to families, particularly in London where employment rates lag, by widening and improving the in-work credit scheme, which provides additional financial support for lone parents as they make the transition to work.
Changing Jobcentre Plus systems, so parents are properly identified in the benefit system for the first time, and to record the childcare needs and preferences of all parents - not just lone parents as at present.
Providing advice and support for the partners of parents claiming Jobseekers Allowance, with the introduction of mandatory six-monthly work-focused interviews for this group.
The Government announced new rules that will mean more people will be able to try out work as part of the new Employment Support Allowance (ESA) without losing their benefit entitlement.
Under the permitted work rules, ESA customers on the income-related element, as well as those on the contributory element, of the benefit will be able to earn up to £86 per week for a year which it is hoped will help their transfer off benefits and into work.
The Employment and Support Allowance - a new integrated contributory and income-related allowance - will replace incapacity benefit and income support paid on grounds of incapacity or disability for new claimants from 2008.
