Pulse.Assent

Figures show that children are around 5 times more likely to live in poverty if they live in a workless household, compared to a household where all adults work. The number of children living in a workless household is down by almost 600,000 since 2010.

There’s also good news for household incomes as these have risen to another record high, with income growth continuing to outstrip inflation in 2016/17. Income inequality – the gap between the richest and poorest – has fallen and remains lower than in 2010. Material deprivation rates for children and pensioners are at their lowest ever.

The average household now takes home a record £494 a week, and compared to 2007/08 the poorest fifth of households are seeing an extra £1,000 after inflation added to their annual income.

Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance, Kit Malthouse, said:

It’s fantastic news that one million fewer people are living in absolute poverty than in 2010, including 300,000 children. It makes sense that poverty rates are falling while the employment rate is increasing, and today’s figures confirm that work remains the best route out of poverty.

We know there is more to do to ensure that every child gets the very best chances in life. Our welfare reforms offer parents tailored support to move into work, ensuring that even more families can enjoy the opportunities and benefits that work can bring.

The news follows statistics released yesterday which show that the employment rate remains at a joint-record high of 75.3%, with 32.25 million people now in work. On average, we have seen 1,000 more people in a job every day since 2010.

We spend more on family benefits than any other country in the OECD, at 3.8% of GDP. Working families are benefitting from the introduction of the National Living Wage, and the rise in the personal tax threshold is taking the lowest paid out of tax. Through welfare reforms including Universal Credit, the government is making sure it always pays to be in work.

The government is continuing to protect all vulnerable groups in society, with disability benefits being exempt from the benefit freeze and the basic State Pension being protected through the ‘triple lock’.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 3267 5144

Follow DWP on:

• Twitter – www.twitter.com/dwppressoffice
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/dwp
• LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/company/dwp
• YouTube – www.youtube.com/dwp

Ms NneNne Iwuji-Eme has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Mozambique in succession to Ms Joanna Kuenssberg. Ms Iwuji-Eme becomes the first British black female career diplomat to be appointed High Commissioner. She will take up her new role in July 2018.

Ms Iwuji-Eme has spent 16 years in the Foreign Office, with roles ranging from Economic Adviser for Africa to Chief Press Officer to the Africa Minister, she has also worked as an Economist in Defra and for Royal Dutch Shell. Her most recent posting was to Brazil as First Secretary Prosperity and Acting Prosperity Consul.

NneNne Iwuji-Eme said:

“It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed High Commissioner to Mozambique.

“I hope my appointment as the first British black female career diplomat to this position will inspire young talent, regardless of race or background, to pursue their ambitions in the Foreign Office. I look forward to forging even stronger connections between Britain and Mozambique two close members of the Commonwealth family.”

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

“As the country heads in a new and exciting direction, it’s important that we have the brightest and the best batting for Britain.

“Our great diversity is an invaluable asset on the global stage, and it’s only right that at all levels the FCO reflects this.

“As a continent with some of the world’s fastest growing economies, Africa is an important partner post Brexit. NneNne has the vision, experience and energy to take our relationship with Mozambique to the next level, and I congratulate her on her appointment.”

The Foreign Office has made huge strides in improving diversity. Just under a third of Missions (32per cent) are headed up by women up 200 per cent since 2008, and half the FCO board is female. Black and Minority Ethnic currently make up 13.4 per cent of Foreign Office staff, with the FCO board and BAME networks improving diversity with tailored training and mentoring programmes and a schools outreach programme.

The FCO is working to improve diversity in the Diplomatic Service and his been awarded a Gold banding for race, in the Business in the Community Diversity Benchmark, the UK’s most comprehensive benchmark for workplace diversity

CURRICULUM VITAE

Full name: Chigozirije NneNne Iwuji-Eme

2014 – present Sao Paulo, Deputy Prosperity Consul /Head of Prosperity

2013 – 2014 Brasilia, First Secretary (Political)

2012 FCO, Chief Press Officer covering Africa Minister, South Asia, North America, UN

2011 – 2012 FCO, Head of Section, Strategy and Resources, Global Economy Group

2009 – 2011 FCO, Head, Great Lakes Section, Africa Directorate

2008 FCO, Policy Analyst, Directorate for Strategy, Policy Planning, and Innovation

2006 – 2008 Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands), Scenarios Planner/Senior Africa specialist

2002 – 2006 FCO, Head, Africa, Middle East and Transition Economies, Economic Policy Department

1999 – 2001 Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Economic Adviser

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

To mark the milestone, uniformed personnel from the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force, as well as a number of staff at attractions from across the County of Conwy have shown their support to the event by displaying the Armed Forces Day flag.

Excitement is brewing throughout the region for the event on the 30 June, with so many people wanting to show their support and say thank you to our serving personnel, veterans, cadets and their families for all the work they do to keep us safe at home and abroad.

On the 30 June, a parade of around 1,000 serving personnel, veterans, cadets and marching bands will step off from the Llandudno War Memorial at 11am to signal the start of the Armed Forces Day celebrations. The parade, which promises to be an impressive display of both sound and colour, will then march down the road adjacent to the promenade, culminating in a salute to a number of special guests and dignitaries outside Venue Cymru.

Serving personnel, veterans, families, friends and visitors will then have the chance to interact with exhibitions and activities along Llandudno Promenade and Bodafon Fields including static aircraft, armoured vehicles and a diving tank (all assets are subject to operational requirement). A fantastic opportunity for the public to get up close to military assets.

A full programme including an event site map will be released nearer the time.

A special thanks goes to the support of Welsh Government, our charity partners SSAFA, and the Royal British Legion for working with Conwy County Borough Council to make this event possible.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Armed Forces Day is a chance for communities across Wales to say thank you to our service personnel, veterans and their families for their service, commitment and courage.

And in 100 days’ time, all eyes will fall on Llandudno as host to the main nationwide celebration. I will be proud and privileged to be a part of these celebrations, joining thousands of people in expressing our gratitude to the men and women who do so much to preserve our freedom.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said:

I am delighted Wales has been chosen to host National Armed Forces Day this year, and look forward to joining friends at events in Llandudno in 100 days to formally thank our service men and women. We have a proud military history in Wales, and I also wish to pay tribute to the families of our Armed Forces personnel this year for the sacrifices they have made to support those who so selflessly chose to serve their country.

Cllr Liz Roberts, Armed Forces Champion, Conwy County Borough Council said:

Hosting Armed Forces Day is a huge coup for Llandudno, and despite still being 100 days away, an incredible amount of work has already been undertaken behind the scenes to highlight how our seaside town is the right environment for this event and make the forces community proud.

On Saturday 30 June, Llandudno will become the focal point for the UK as together we acknowledge the hard work and dedication of serving personnel and veterans.

It’s important to mark the 100-day milestone and showcase the support we have within the County of Conwy, across North Wales, and from the Armed Forces towards this fantastic event.
Colonel Lance Patterson, Deputy Commander 160th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Wales, said:
“Armed Forces Day 2018 promises to be an important and fine occasion, not just for Llandudno but for the whole of Wales and the rest of the UK.

ENDS.

Councils across the country are set to receive a share of over £215 million from 2019 to prevent homelessness, Homelessness Minister Heather Wheeler confirmed today (22 March 2018). This includes a £15 million fund for London councils to support their work together to prevent and reduce homelessness.

This latest funding – the third round from the government’s Flexible Homelessness Support Grant programme – brings the total government investment to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping to over £1.2 billion through to 2020.

Homelessness Minister Heather Wheeler said:

This government is determined to help the most vulnerable in our society and to break the homelessness cycle once and for all. That why we’re investing over £1.2 billion in tackling the issue and bringing in the most ambitious legislation in decades that will mean people get the support they need earlier.

This latest funding gives councils the freedom to invest in homelessness services that work in their area, including support to prevent someone becoming homeless in the first place.

Today’s announcement comes ahead of the Homelessness Reduction Act which comes into force next month to significantly reform England’s legislation and ensure that more people get the help they need when they’re faced with homelessness.

It forms part of the government’s comprehensive approach to reducing homelessness, giving early support to those at risk of losing their homes.

In addition to total of £617 million in Flexible Homelessness Support Grant funding and implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act, the government is taking significant action to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping through:

• a new cross-government Homelessness Reduction Taskforce supported by a panel of experts that will drive forward a new strategy to reduce homelessness with an initial focus on rough sleeping
• £28 million funding for 3 ‘Housing First’ pilots in Manchester, Liverpool and the West Midlands to support long-term rough sleepers off the streets. Individuals will be provided with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support. This will to help them recover from complex health issues, for example substance abuse and mental health difficulties and sustain their tenancies
• investing £9 billion to build more affordable housing, including council homes
• supporting Housing Benefit and Universal Credit claimants living in areas where private rents have been rising fastest, the government will increase some Local Housing Allowance rates by increasing Targeted Affordability Funding by £40 million in 2018 to 2019 and £85 million in 2019 to 2020. This will increase the housing benefit awards of approximately 140,000 claimants in 2018 to 2019, by an average of £280, in areas where affordability pressures are greatest.

Further information

In April 2017, the government replaced the tightly controlled Department for Work and Pension’s Temporary Accommodation Management Fee (TAMF). This payment could only be used for expensive intervention when a household was already homeless, rather than on preventing it happening in the first place. The new grant empowers councils to act more strategically to support the full range of homelessness services, including preventing families from losing their homes in the first place.

The first and second year allocations from the Flexible Homelessness Support Grant, a combined total of £402 million, were announced on 15 March 2017.

Read more about the Homelessness Reduction Act that comes into effect on 3 April 2018.