PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(3 December 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that homeless children have the same rights of access to (a) education and (b) health care as looked-after children in corporate parentship.

Asked by:
Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour)

The department knows that homelessness levels are far too high, and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, especially children. Too many children are spending years in temporary accommodation, at a point in their lives when they need space to play and develop, nutritious food to thrive and access to education.

We understand the physical and mental health impacts of poor housing on children and families. The Child Poverty Unit is exploring options with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), to encourage greater integration of health, housing, education and care services at a local level which will better meet the needs of children and families in poverty.

More detail on the approach and priorities for the Child Poverty Strategy is set out in the 23 October publication ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing Our Strategy’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy.

Through the supporting families programme and our reforms to family help from April 2025, we will ensure that more children and families can access the help and support they need at the earliest opportunity. Support will be delivered by community based, multi-disciplinary teams, made up of professionals from relevant agencies. This could include specialist homelessness advisors.

My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, is leading cross-government work to deliver the long term solutions we need to get back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long term strategy.

We are also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including by delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament.

MHCLG are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced in the Autumn Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

This government will also abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions with immediate effect, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

In relation to healthcare, clearly homeless children have the same right to healthcare as children in any other situation in England. All children have equal access to use the NHS, and DHSC and the NHS are working together to ensure health inequalities in ease of access are mitigated.

Answered by:
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1 January 1970