Welfare reforms could infringe children's rights, claims commissioner
Janaki Mahadevan
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The rights of disabled children, those living with families in receipt of housing benefits and those experiencing poverty are at risk, according to the children's commissioner for England.
In her first child rights impact assessment, Dr Maggie Atkinson examined the possible infringements of children’s rights under the proposed welfare reforms.
The assessment welcomed measures within the universal credit that could help parents increase their family income through work and the extension of free school meals to all children whose families receive the credit.
But Atkinson also identified potential risks as a result of the household benefit cap, housing benefit changes and changes to benefits for families with disabled children that could impact upon children’s rights.
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. Creating such incentives may have a serious impact on them as independent rights-holders."
The assessment considered the bill against the articles in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Act 1998 and other international human rights obligations.
The threat of a potential increase in household arrears due to reduced housing benefit payments and the risk of homelessness for families no longer able to afford housing were highlighted as serious risks of the welfare reforms.
The assessment also warned of a disproportionate impact of some of the Welfare Reform Bill’s benefit changes on children from some black and minority ethnic groups, disabled children and children of disabled parents.
The commisssioner also warned that the abolition of the Social Fund would see some families left without emergency support in the event of a crisis such as flood, fire or serious illness.
The assessment emphasised that the failure of parents to comply with conditions on benefits does not affect the government’s children’s rights obligations, including the requirement to provide an adequate standard of living for all children.
Atkinson added: "We will continue to work with the government and parliamentarians during the Welfare Reform Bill’s progression into law to ensure that children’s rights are promoted, protected and realised."
