Nursery World - Plans for welfare reform put children's rights at risk

The children's commissioner for England has warned that proposals to introduce a cap on household benefit and changes to housing benefit are likely to have a negative impact on children and could breach children's rights legislation.

An analysis of the impact of planned changes to the benefits system in the Welfare Reform Bill, by the commissioner, highlights several risks to children.

The Bill has already passed through the House of Commons and is being debated as in the House of Lords this month.

Maggie Atkinson said, ‘We have identified groups of children whose rights may be breached by the implementation of the Bill.

‘Children whose families receive welfare benefits are particularly vulnerable due to the high level of poverty among this group.

'Children have no power to take up incentives in the Bill to find work or move to cheaper accommodation in order to have more money to live on.’

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