The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way by targeting support where it is most needed.

We will ensure benefits retain their value by guaranteeing that for the second consecutive year, Child Benefit will increase from April in line with CPI (0.5 per cent). The Government will continue to review levels of Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits alongside other benefits annually. As individuals anywhere on the income distribution are entitled to Child Benefit, increasing Child Benefit to support families who are struggling with additional financial pressures would be poorly targeted.

The Government has provided additional support for disadvantaged children and young people during the pandemic, and is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets.

The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a responsible way by targeting support where it is most needed. Child Benefit is not one of the qualifying benefits for Free School Meals. As individuals with an income of up to £60,000 are entitled to Child Benefit, many claimants will not have children who are eligible for Free School Meals and increasing Child Benefit to support this cohort would be poorly targeted. From April 2021 Child Benefit will increase in line with CPI (0.5 percent) to ensure that it retains its value. We will continue to review levels of Child Benefit alongside other benefits annually through the uprating process.

Schools have continued to receive their core funding in full, including for free school meals, during the national lockdown. In addition to this, we are providing extra funding to support schools to work with their school catering team or food provider to supply food parcels or meals to eligible pupils learning at home. Schools can alternatively claim funding to provide local vouchers worth £15 per child per week, giving families the flexibility to use these where it is most convenient for them and on healthy, nutritious items of their choice.  Where schools cannot offer food parcels or use local solutions, a national voucher scheme is in place to ensure that every eligible child can access free school meals.

Child Benefit rates were raised in line with inflation in April 2020.

This was alongside the government’s significant package of welfare support in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, which is estimated by the to be worth £8bn this year. This includes: an up-to £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element; a relaxation of earnings rules for self-employed Universal Credit claimants; and an increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants to the 30th percentile of market rents.

Child Benefit rates were raised in line with inflation in April 2020.

This was alongside the government’s significant package of welfare support in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, which is estimated by the to be worth £8bn this year. This includes: an up-to £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element; a relaxation of earnings rules for self-employed Universal Credit claimants; and an increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants to the 30th percentile of market rents.

The Government is committed to helping families through the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. That is why at Budget 2020, and in the Chancellor’s announcement on 20 March, we committed to a targeted, multi-billion-pound package of support for families this year.

We have announced measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised, and that benefit as many disadvantaged families as possible. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs are experiencing significant increased demand and the Government must prioritise both implementing the changes we have already announced and the safety and stability of the benefits system overall.

The measures announced on 20 March include a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element, a relaxation of earnings rules for self-employed Universal Credit claimants, and an increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants to the 30^th percentile of market rents.

This is in addition to measures announced at Budget, which included widening the scope of Statutory Sick Pay and making accessing benefits easier for those most affected by Covid-19. The Budget also announced that the Government will provide Local Authorities in England with £500 million of new grant funding to support economically vulnerable people and households in their local area.

Whilst we keep measures under review as we analyse the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable groups, we do not plan on making any further changes as we must focus all our efforts on delivering this package.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 21st October 2019. Access to Child Benefit follows the long-standing Government policy that those who have not established their right to remain permanently in the UK should not have welfare provision on the same basis as those whose citizenship or status here gives them an entitlement to benefits. All those admitted to the UK for a temporary purpose are required, under the immigration rules, to be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds.

For this reason, apart from specified exceptions – set out in the Social Security (Immigration and Asylum Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2000 – persons subject to immigration control are not eligible for Child Benefit.

However, individuals who have no recourse to public funds can access many services including the NHS, statutory sick pay and some other work-related benefits. Local Authorities also have a statutory duty to provide support to families subject to the NRPF condition where a child’s wellbeing is in question.

In addition, they are able to access support measures put in place to respond to the Covid-19 global pandemic, including the Job Retention and Self-Employed Income Support schemes, free school meals, mortgage payment holidays and protection from eviction.

Eligible immigrants with a condition of NRPF can apply to the Home Office to have this lifted if their financial circumstances change.

Further information on the support that is available for migrants subject to NRPF can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-uk.

Child Benefit will be increased in line with inflation from April as planned.

The government continually analyses the COVID-19 outbreak and its policies to support people during this time. At Budget, and in his announcements last week, the Chancellor committed to a targeted, multi-billion-pound package of unprecedented support for individuals, families and businesses affected by the virus, prioritising measures which are targeted on the most vulnerable and can be delivered safely and swiftly.

At Budget these measures included widening the scope of Statutory Sick Pay and made accessing benefits easier for those affected by COVID-19. Last week the government introduced further measures to support those on low-incomes, including an up-to £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element, a relaxation of earnings rules for self-employed Universal Credit claimants, and an increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants to the 30^th percentile of market rents.

At present, the law provides for Child Benefit to be paid to one parent only. The parent who claims Child Benefit can voluntarily choose to pay an agreed proportion to the other parent. Where parents separate and both have care of their child, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) encourages them to agree who should claim Child Benefit. Where they cannot reach an agreement, the law allows HMRC to decide, at their discretion, who should receive the payment.

Currently there are no plans to change the law to split payments of Child Benefit where parents have separated and share care of their children. The government believes that directing payment to the person mainly responsible for the child best ensures that the money goes to the person most likely to bear the weight of everyday care and expenditure.