Social Justice and Social Security Committee 18 December 2025
There are clearly areas where both Governments have come to the same conclusions about the drivers of child poverty and the important policy interventions that can be undertaken. We might have used different terminologies, but it is important that we look at income from social security and the wider support that is given to people, for example through employment or from other public services. It would therefore be fair to say that there is a shared read-across about the drivers of poverty.
Work has been undertaken by both Governments in a number of areas; sometimes that work is similar and sometimes it is separate. With regard to social security, the UK Government has taken the decision on the two-child limit. We were disappointed that it did not go further on the benefit cap or the local housing allowance, or implement something equivalent to the Scottish child payment.
There are areas in the UK strategy to do with early learning, childcare, employability and so on that are solely to do with England. We, too, have policies on early learning and childcare, and ones that recognise the importance of employability. How that will be taken forward will be developed in the budget and the tackling child poverty delivery plans.
Many of the foundations and the understanding of the drivers of poverty are the same. The policies sometimes differ in range or in detail.