Children adversely affected by Welfare reform
Children’s health and education may be adversely affected by the Welfare Reform Bill, according to the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
Dr Maggie Atkinson published her first Child Rights Impact Assessment, showing the potential effects of the Bill on children’s rights in England.
According to Dr Atkinson, children whose families receive welfare benefits are particularly vulnerable as they are often living in poverty, she said.
The assessment highlights increased child poverty as a result of the household benefit cap and housing benefit changes. Dr Atkinson welcomed the proposal within Universal Credit, which potentially allows parents and carers to increase their family income through work.
Whilst the report considers the Bill in the light of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Dr Atkinson warned that families living in poverty could face rent arrears because of reduced housing benefit payments. She also said that people were likely to divert money away from necessities for children’s health and wellbeing such as heating, warm clothes, and nutritious food to cover their housing costs.
Finally, Dr Atkinson said: “Children have no power to take up incentives to find work or move to cheaper accommodation in order to have more money… Creating such incentives may have a serious impact on them as independent rights-holders.”
