Written question asked by Lord Bird (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 22 November 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 December 2016. It was answered by Lord Freud (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 December 2016 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Poverty: Children

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Early Intervention Foundation's Report The Cost of Late Intervention: EIF analysis 2016; and what plans they have to prioritise preventative interventions in seeking to dismantle the root causes of poverty.

Answer: This Government is committed to action that tackles the root causes of poverty and disadvantage, not just the symptoms. As part of our approach, we fully recognise that the right intervention, at the right time, can make a real difference to the lives of children and their families. This is why, for example, we are developing a new approach to relationship support. This is based on the latest evidence from the Early Intervention Foundation that children exposed to frequent, intense and poorly resolved conflict between their parents are at risk of poorer long term outcomes. Our approach targets couples and parents during key life transitions; and by doubling the available funding since April 2016 for the remainder of this Parliament we can ensure that more families benefit from this new approach.

Secondary information