Committee publication · Correspondence · 22 April 2026
Correspondence to and from Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, relating to the child poverty inquiry, dated 25 March and 14 April 2026
From: Welsh Affairs Committee
Summary
Correspondence between the Welsh Affairs Committee and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding a new inquiry into child poverty in Wales. The Committee requests information on UK-Welsh Government collaboration, examples of joint agency working, child voice mechanisms, and monitoring frameworks. The Secretary of State confirms the Government's commitment to the Child Poverty Strategy, highlights removal of the two-child limit (potentially benefiting 69,000 Welsh children), and commits to joint evidence submission and ongoing Four Nations collaboration.
Key findings
- Welsh Affairs Committee launched inquiry into 'Working towards ending child poverty in Wales', complementing parallel Work and Pensions and Education Committee inquiries
- Removal of two-child limit from April 2026 estimated to benefit 69,000 children in Wales and reduce UK relative child poverty by 450,000 by decade's end
- UK Government engaged devolved governments throughout Child Poverty Strategy development and established Four Nations Ministerial Group on Child Poverty (chaired 24 March 2026)
- Government committed to baseline report on monitoring and evaluation this summer, with annual reporting thereafter; emphasises direct engagement with children and families in evaluation
- Committee seeking clarification on inter-governmental working mechanisms, UK agency collaboration with devolved authorities, child voice mechanisms, and accuracy of poverty measurement in Wales
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Ruth Jones MP, Pat McFadden MP, Jo Stevens MP, Welsh Affairs Committee, Department for Work and Pensions, Wales Office, Welsh Government, Four Nations Ministerial Group on Child Poverty
Notable line
“… children in Wales can be confident of their next meal, that they can go to bed in a warm home, and that they do not face the lifelong impacts of poverty on their health and earnings.”
Key Quotes
“We must act to ensure that children in Wales can be confident of their next meal, that they can go to bed in a warm home, and that they do not face the lifelong impacts of poverty on their health and earnings.”
“A key lever in tackling child poverty is the removal of the two-child limit, which is implemented from this month. This could benefit an estimated 69,000 children in Wales and reduce relative child poverty across the UK by 450,000 by the end of the decade.”
“We recognise tackling child poverty requires action across reserved, devolved and local levers.”
“A crucial part of our approach is hearing directly from children and families, to ensure that a wide range of voices is considered when evaluating the strategy's successes and areas for development.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗