Social Security: Child Poverty

Lord Palmer of Childs Hill Excerpts

Wednesday 15th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

The rather esoteric answer is in the recent baseline report, which sets out how we are going to monitor the child poverty strategy. We follow two headline metrics: relative low income, which understands the breadth of the problem, and deep material poverty, which understands that, in some cases, it is about how the basic items needed for survival cannot be accessed because of poverty. By using those two metrics, alongside a number of contextual indicators which look at household employment, debt and costs, we will be able to properly understand poverty in the round.

[Lord Palmer of Childs Hill (LD)]

My Lords, the main role of social security in reducing child poverty is to act as a cash lifeline. It supplements or replaces earnings so that children can have a more stable standard of living. Can the Minister elaborate on what he said before, as to how it could work in practice when combined with decent wages, affordable housing and childcare? Benefits alone cannot solve every cause of poverty.

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I am pleased to say that I agree entirely with the noble Lord. We are taking a cross-government, holistic approach to sorting out this problem. That goes as far as our £39 billion 10-year programme for more social and affordable housing, so that we can tackle some of the outrageous things we have seen around the use of temporary accommodation and make sure that people have access to a good standard of living.