Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children of compulsory school age live in households in England in receipt of universal credit with a household income after tax and before benefits of less than (a) £7,400, (b) £8,350 and (c) £8,575 a year.

In May 2022, 2.15 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England in receipt of universal credit. 780,000 of those children lived in households with no income in May 2022.

(a) 1.07 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England with a monthly equivalent income in May 2022 of less than £7,400 a year.

(b) 1.16 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England with a monthly equivalent income in May 2022 of less than £8,350 a year.

(c) 1.18 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England with a monthly equivalent income in May 2022 of less than £8,575 a year.

Notes:

1. Children of compulsory school age is defined as children who will be between the ages of 5 and 16 inclusively on 31st August 2022

2. Figures for children in households with incomes less than £X include households with no income

3. May 2022 aligns with most recently data from published Stat-Xplore figures

4. Figures rounded to nearest hundred thousand children

5. Not all UC claimants will have been receiving UC for a full year, and DWP only holds earnings information for claimants once they start a UC claim. Yearly incomes are therefore calculated by multiplying the monthly incomes in May 2022 by 12.

The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has provided over £37bn of support including up to £650 in cost-of-living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. [In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment from November.]

For those who require additional support we have extended the Household Support Fund backed by £421m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual.

The Government are also investing £200 million a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which benefitted over 600,000 children last summer, and we have increased the value of the Healthy Start Scheme by a third to £4.25 a week.