Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Paragraph: 65
The UK can learn from international approaches to poverty measurement, including from those countries and...
Conclusion
The UK can learn from international approaches to poverty measurement, including from those countries and organisations which have developed multidimensional measurement approaches that bring together measures of income poverty and wider social deprivations. Some multidimensional approaches blend measures of income poverty with wider deprivations to produce a single index. There is a danger that a single index mixes measures of income poverty with factors that may be the consequence or cause of income poverty. This could make it hard to see what is driving changes in the measure and could have the unintended effect of reducing transparency overall.
Paragraph Reference:
65
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling poverty and reports progress to Parliament in several ways. As set out in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016, the Government publishes key measures of child poverty annually in line with its statutory responsibilities. In addition, we update Parliament via our annual report and Ministers are held to account on a regular basis at Oral questions and by the WPSC. As our economic recovery progresses our focus is on helping people get back into and to progress in work, based on clear evidence that work, particularly full-time work, is the most effective way of tackling poverty. The £500 million expansion of the Plan for Jobs will ensure that people across the country continue to be supported to do so. DWP’s Secretary of State continues to lead wider cross-Government action on tackling poverty and the cost of living.