Child Poverty

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 10 September 2012.

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Photo of Iain Duncan Smith Iain Duncan Smith The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2:30, 10 September 2012

I do, yes. We want to pay people directly, and we already pay local housing allowance to such tenants directly, which the hon. Gentleman and all hon. Members should remember. The vast majority cope with that payment—they are very similar. The point is this: we do not intend to cause problems, but the more we continue to treat people in receipt of benefits like children, the less likely they will be able to cope when they go to work. Those who can absolutely must get on to that payment schedule, but we will obviously talk to all the bodies to which he referred to ensure that we identify those who cannot. If people cannot get on to that schedule, we want to surround them with help and support to find out why they cannot manage their payments, and to rectify that rather than just throw money at them.