Plans for welfare reform put children's rights at risk
Catherine Gaunt
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The children's commissioner for England has warned that proposals to introduce a cap on household benefit and changes to housing benefit are likely to have a negative impact on children and could breach children's rights legislation.
An analysis of the impact of planned changes to the benefits system in the Welfare Reform Bill, by the commissioner, highlights several risks to children.
The Bill has already passed through the House of Commons and is being debated as in the House of Lords this month.
Maggie Atkinson said, ‘We have identified groups of children whose rights may be breached by the implementation of the Bill.
‘Children whose families receive welfare benefits are particularly vulnerable due to the high level of poverty among this group.
'Children have no power to take up incentives in the Bill to find work or move to cheaper accommodation in order to have more money to live on.’
She added, ‘Creating such incentives may have a serious impact on them as independent rights-holders.’
However, the assessment does welcome the proposal in the Universal Credit to allow parents to increase their working hours, as well as extending free school meals to all children whose families receive the Universal Credit.
The Child Rights Impact Assessment considers the Bill in the light of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Act 1998 and other international human rights obligations.
The key risks for concern identified in the impact assessment are:
- an increase in child poverty, as a result of the household benefit cap and housing benefit changes, leading to poor health and educational outcomes for children;
- the threat of a potential increase in household rent arrears due to reduced housing benefit payments;
- families living in poverty having to divert money away from necessities for children’s health and well-being, such as heating, warm clothing, and food to cover their housing costs;
- children becoming homeless through unaffordable housing for families;
- a disproportionate impact of some of the bill’s benefit changes on children from some BME groups, disabled children and children of disabled parents;
- families having no crisis support in the event of flood, fire, or serious illness as a result of the Bill’s abolition of the Social Fund.
The assessment emphasises that the failure of parents to comply with conditions on benefits or take up the incentives offered in the Bill does not affect the Government’s children’s rights obligations, including the requirement to provide an adequate standard of living for all children.
Dr Atkinson added, ‘We will continue to work with the Government and parliamentarians during the Welfare Reform Bill’s progression into law to ensure that children’s rights are promoted, protected and realised.’
