Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Child Poverty Unit, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)
1. Report on the location of the Child
Poverty Unit team members (Question 23—transcript reference)
All but three of the staff in the Child Poverty
Unit (CPU) are based in the DCSF headquarters in Sanctuary Buildings,
Great Smith Street. The DCSF is introducing "hot desking"
arrangements to deliver greater efficiencies in the use of space
and equipment. The CPU is based on the Ground Floor where these
arrangements are already in place and the staff there all "hot
desk" with telephony following the individual. Two staff
are based in the Treasury and another member of the Unit is based
in Sheffield.
2. To write to ONS (and copy response
to the Select Committee) about appropriate publication of progress
reports against the Ending Child Poverty document.
(Question 44—transcript reference)
Officials are in the process of drafting a letter
from the Secretary of State to the Head of the Office of National
Statistics about future arrangements for the publication of the
Opportunity for All indicators. The Secretary of State will copy
the response from ONS to the Committee.
3. Level of benefit received by a customer
on income support with the carers' premium.
(Question 56—transcript reference)
Income Support provides financial help for working-age
people who are not required to be available for work, whose income
is below a prescribed level, and who work less than 16 hours a
week (24 hours for partners). The amount of Income Support a person
is entitled to will depend on their personal circumstances. For
example, a single person aged 25 years and over who is entitled
to Income Support and the Carer's Premium would receive £88.25
per week.
£88.25 is correct for a single person over
25 (made up of £60.50 personal allowance and £27.75
carer premium). The carer premium is a standard amount paid on
top of the relevant personal allowance.
The Secretary of State asked the Minister for
Disabled People to reply to Lynda Waltho's letter regarding carers
allowance. Lynda Waltho subsequently sent a letter thanking the
Minister for her response.
June 2008
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