Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 3 February 2017 to Question 62617, on food poverty, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people in work do not experience food poverty resulting in a reliance on food banks.

We have a well established system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans. During 2017/18 we will spend £95 billion on working age benefits. We are determined to make work pay and to support people into work whilst protecting the most vulnerable in society.