The DWP has issued a response to plans to increase Universal Credit boosting payments by over £620 a month.
Labour MP Chris Hinchliff set out the proposal in a question in Parliament, asking if the Government would look at expanding the child element of Universal Credit.
Under the current rules, claimants can get extra payments on top of their monthly standard allowance if they have children.
This includes additional cash for your first child and for your second child. Extra payments are also available for your third and other children if they were born before 6 April 2017 and in some other circumstances.
But Mr Hinchliff, MP for North East Hertfordshire, asked if the Government would consider bringing in additional rates for the third and other children.
He said the potentail rates would include “a child element of Universal Credit of (i) £287.92, (ii) £191.95 and (iii) £143.96 for (A) third and (B) further children”.
If a person received all three of these extra payments, their claim would increase by £623.83 a month, or £7,485.96 a year.
Work and pensions minister, Alison McGovern, gave a response to the calls for the payment increases, outlining the Government’s plans.
She said: “We are committed to tackling child poverty and are introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school to ensure children are fed a nutritious breakfast and are ready to learn.
“The new ministerial taskforce will drive cross-government action on child poverty, starting with overseeing the development of our ambitious new strategy in line with the opportunity mission.
“After initial engagement, the formal work to develop the new child poverty strategy will begin and we will publish a full terms of reference in the coming weeks.
“We will explore how we can use all the available levers we have across government and wider society to drive forward the change our children need.”
Under the current rates, a Universal Credit claimant can get an extra £333.33 a month of their first child if they were born before April 6, 2017, and an extra £287.92 if they were born after this date.
You can also get an extra £287.92 for your second child, as well as extra amounts for other children, in certain circumstances.
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