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Saving Gateway Accounts Bill

My hon. Friend might be aware that many carers will be covered by the saving gateway. Certainly, those on the lowest incomes will be covered. The Bill, as it stands, provides for a particular set of benefits and tax credits to be covered. It also allows for an extension to cover other benefits and tax credits in the future. It is right that the Bill should have that flexibility. At this stage, we have concentrated the focus of the saving gateway on people of working age who would most benefit from the support and incentive to start saving for the first time. The provisions are being aimed at those who have no savings, who are often the most vulnerable as a result. We know that the lower a household's income is, the lower its savings tend to be. For example, the most recent family resource survey shows that 24 per cent. of households have no savings. While that includes some households that lack savings only for a short time or for a particular period, it also includes households on the lowest incomes that never manage to build up savings and that might be most in need of savings to deal with the financial problems that can occur from time to time in everyone's life.