In a significant move against child poverty, the expansion of free school meals to families receiving Universal Credit is projected to lift approximately 100,000 children out of poverty. This policy forms part of broader welfare reforms introduced by the Labour government, which aim to reverse the most damaging Conservative benefit cuts while implementing practical and compassionate social security measures.
A Shift in Social Security Direction
Labour's welfare changes represent a marked departure from previous Conservative policies that saw benefits cut to their lowest real terms level in four decades. Under the new direction, Universal Credit's standard allowance will rise above inflation for each of the next four years - the first such sustained real-terms increase since the 1970s. While the current £98 weekly payment for single persons remains inadequate for comfortable living, the planned 2.3% real rise will gradually improve circumstances for recipients.
Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, emphasises that "reducing child poverty is what Labour governments do," pointing to historical graphs that clearly demonstrate which political party was in power during periods of child poverty reduction versus increase. His forthcoming legislation to remove the controversial two-child limit from Universal Credit is expected to lift around 450,000 children from poverty, with an additional 100,000 benefiting through qualification for free school meals.
Reversing Damaging Tory Policies
The Conservative approach to benefits under David Cameron's government involved scrapping poverty targets established by the 2010 Child Poverty Act and implementing policies that ultimately propelled child poverty numbers to 4.5 million. Labour's current reforms specifically address what Timms describes as "the poison of the George Osborne, Iain Duncan Smith years" by dismantling punitive measures designed to mirror workplace conditions inappropriately.
One particularly damaging feature was the five-week waiting period imposed on new Universal Credit claimants, which forced many into immediate debt, rent arrears, and food bank dependency. This policy, criticised as politically motivated rather than practically necessary, is expected to be eliminated under Labour's review of the Universal Credit system.
Protecting Disability Support
In response to concerns about disability benefit cuts, Timms has made clear that his review of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) will not result in reductions to disability support. This assurance comes as welcome news to those who lost trust following Labour's earlier consideration of £5 billion in disability cuts, which was ultimately prevented by the party's own MPs. PIP payments will rise with inflation until the next election, with the government having accounted for predicted increases in the benefit bill within its spending envelope.
Timms highlights that panic about "rising" benefit costs is largely unfounded, noting that the proportion of GDP spent on working-age benefits has remained stable at 4-5% for four decades, despite fluctuations in claimant numbers and political rhetoric about welfare expenditure.
Youth Employment Initiatives
Labour is reviving successful employment programmes from its previous government, including adaptations of the "new deal for young people" introduced in 1998 and the future jobs fund created in response to the 2008 financial crisis. These initiatives proved effective in reducing youth unemployment through personalised support from well-trained jobcentre staff rather than punitive measures.
With nearly one million young people currently classified as NEETs (not in education, employment, or training), Labour's youth guarantee pilot programme aims to provide similar supportive structures. This approach replaces the Conservative emphasis on sanctions and conditionality with work coaches trained to offer genuine assistance rather than punishment.
The Communication Challenge
Despite implementing progressive policies that reverse damaging Tory cuts and expand support for vulnerable groups, the government faces significant challenges in communicating these achievements to the public. Early missteps - including proposals to remove winter fuel allowances from pensioners and considering disability benefit cuts - established what columnist Polly Toynbee describes as "the wrong tone" that continues to colour public perception.
The failure to effectively herald progress in social security reform represents either political ineptitude or a deliberate decision not to trumpet progressive policies, according to Toynbee. This communication gap allows right-wing narratives about "scroungers" and "skivers" to persist unchallenged, despite evidence that well-designed benefit systems provide crucial support, particularly for younger generations affected by COVID-19 disruptions.
Ultimately, securing lasting progress against poverty requires not only policy changes but also shifts in public attitudes toward social security. This necessitates government ministers actively talking about the positive impact of benefit systems and countering stigmatising narratives about welfare recipients. Only through such concerted communication efforts can Labour ensure its social security advances become embedded rather than vulnerable to reversal when political power changes hands.
