Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 21 Jan 2019
Poverty: Metrics
"My Lords, Stalin, not often quoted on this Bench, is said to be the author of the maxim:
“A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic”.
On that, and indeed on everything else, I disagree with the Marshal. A single person living in poverty is …..."Lord Bishop of Portsmouth - View Speech
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Written Question
Tuesday 4th December 2018
Asked by:
Lord Bishop of Portsmouth (Bishops - Bishops)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to postpone the extension of the policy to provide support to a maximum of two children to new Universal Credit claimants.
Answered by Baroness Buscombe
The policy aims to strike the appropriate balance between support for claimants with children and fairness to taxpayers and families with children who support themselves solely through work. A benefits structure that adjusts automatically to family size is ultimately not sustainable, and parents who support themselves solely through work would not generally expect to see their wages increase simply because of the addition of a new child to their family.
There are exceptions in place to support those unable to make choices about the number of children in their household.
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 01 Nov 2018
Benefits: Reductions
"My Lords, one of the pleasures of your Lordships’ House is the range of views we hear and the expertise of those who express them with integrity and conviction—among them Baroness Hollis speaking from the Bench opposite ours.
The same is true of the Church. In one recent elegant, erudite …..."Lord Bishop of Portsmouth - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 30 Apr 2018
Benefit Cap: Child and Family Well-being
"My Lords, welfare reform was predicated on the principal that work should pay, but that principal is being undermined, not least by the two-child limit. In future, a family with three or more children seeking to avoid the cap by moving into work will find themselves subject to the two-child …..."Lord Bishop of Portsmouth - View Speech
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Written Question
Thursday 6th April 2017
Asked by:
Lord Bishop of Portsmouth (Bishops - Bishops)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the impact of the recent increase in inflation on the number of children in poverty; and what plans they have for protecting low income families against the rising cost of basic essentials.
Answered by Lord Henley
Impacts of the latest increase in inflation on families with children have not been estimated.
However the Department’s latest Households Below Average Income statistics to 2016 published on 16th March 2017 does show how the number of children in low income households has changed with reference to inflation (the measure is called absolute low income). Since 2010, there has been a decrease of 200,000 children before housing costs (BHC) in absolute low income. After housing costs (AHC) had been taken into account, there were 100,000 fewer children in absolute low income since 2010.
In terms of proportions, there have also been reductions in the rates of absolute low income on both bases - BHC down by 2 percentage points, and AHC down by 1 percentage point since 2010.
Written Question
Thursday 6th April 2017
Asked by:
Lord Bishop of Portsmouth (Bishops - Bishops)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many families with three or more children born before April 2017 they project will be affected by the introduction of the two-child limit on Universal Credit.
Answered by Lord Henley
The information requested is not available.
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 29 Feb 2016
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
"My Lords, I, too, am grateful for the Government’s decision to publish under obligation the three HBAI low-income measures, along with the further measure of children in persistent poverty. In welcoming this response to the clear wish of the House, I will not detain the House with my commentary on …..."Lord Bishop of Portsmouth - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 09 Feb 2016
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
"My Lords, without wanting to detain the House, I add on behalf of this Bench our thanks to the Minister and offer our support and gratitude for the amendments he has brought forward today. The concerns that have been expressed around the House on many occasions for those who are …..."Lord Bishop of Portsmouth - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 27 Jan 2016
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
"..."Lord Bishop of Portsmouth - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 27 Jan 2016
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
"My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendment 36 in my name. I express my gratitude to the noble Baronesses who have added their names to these amendments.
The amendments would add further exemptions to the two-child limit of the child element of tax credit and universal credit, and the …..."Lord Bishop of Portsmouth - View Speech
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