Three million UK children living in poverty: Government accused of 'breaking promises'
Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government
Thursday 7th May 2009 - 4:56pm
Thursday 7th May 2009 - 4:56pm
Three million UK children living in poverty: Government accused of breaking promisesCampaigners tonight accused the Government of "breaking its promises" as figures showed nearly three million children still live below the poverty line.
Ministers have admitted that meeting a target to halve child poverty by 2010/11 - pledged by Tony Blair a decade ago when 3.4 million children were living in poverty - would be "very difficult" in the current financial climate.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies said the report showed inequality had risen to its highest level since 1961 and that growth of average take-home pay had slowed even before the start of the current recession.
The figures, released by the Department for Work and Pensions today, showed 5.6 million working age adults were earning less than 60% of the median national income. For a family with two children that means living on less than £361 a week.
The Households Below Average Income survey (HBAI) found consistent falls from 1998 in the number of children living below the poverty line but between 2006 and 2008 those numbers stalled.
It also found an extra 200,000 children were living in low income families which could not afford basic treats like inviting a friend home to tea or celebrating a birthday, since 2006/7.
In the population as a whole the report found 11 million people in poverty - a figure which has risen by 300,000 since 2006.
The rate of income growth in the population as a whole in the last decade has been broadly flat.
But the poorest have seen a small reduction in their income and the numbers of working age adults in poverty increased by 200,000 in 2007/8 - although statisticians said that the rise could be due to survey variations.
There are also 2.5 million pensioners living in poverty, which represents a fall of 200,000 since 1998.
The report did find large reductions in the levels of persistent poverty - households judged as being below the poverty line for three or more of the last four years - among children and pensioners since 1998.
The 2010-11 milestone was set by then Prime Minister Tony Blair as an interim target on the way to eradicating child poverty altogether by 2020.
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said that in the current economic climate, meeting the target would be hard.
"Meeting the 2010 target is very difficult," she said. "It is very difficult to model the impact of the recession on child poverty."
But, she added, the Government remains, "absolutely committed" to the 2020 target.
"We knew from the disappointing figures in 2006/7 that we were unlikely to see reductions in the child poverty figures for 07/08 but I'm pleased the child poverty rates have remained broadly stable."
She said the Government took "pre-emptive action" when drops in the figures stalled in 2006 but those measures did not come into effect until last year and the benefit would not yet be seen in the figures.
Pensions Minister Rosie Winterton said: "We've lifted 900,000 pensioners out of poverty and as an EU Commission report showed, the income of the UK's pensioners has increased significantly over the last decade.
"In 1997 UK pensioner income was well below the European average. Today their income is 9% higher than the EU average."
But shadow work and pensions secretary, Theresa May, said: "Gordon Brown's pledge to halve child poverty by 2010 is just one of countless Labour promises that lies in tatters.
"The Government needs to wake up and get a grip of this problem. Simply relying on means-tested benefits to address the symptoms of poverty is unsustainable. Instead we must tackle the root causes of poverty, such as educational failure, family breakdown, drug abuse, indebtedness and crime."
Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman, Steve Webb, accused the Government of losing the fight against child poverty.
He said: "Gordon Brown's means-tested benefits have failed to lift children and pensioners out of poverty."
Children's charities said the Government had abandoned their 2010 commitment.
Colette Marshall, UK director of Save the Children, said: "The Government has clearly broken its promise to lift up to three million children out of poverty in the UK.
"In 2001 Gordon Brown referred to child poverty as a 'scar on Britain's soul'. This scar is taking a very long time to heal."
Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnardo's, said: "Today's figures provide confirmation that Labour have abandoned their bravest commitment - to halve child poverty by 2010. For the families left to languish in the misery and debt that poverty inflicts, that is a tragedy."
Carey Oppenheim, co-director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: "The figures on child poverty released today are very disappointing as they show that progress on poverty has stagnated and even deteriorated on some measures. These figures also pre-date the recession so the number of children currently in poverty today is likely to be higher.
"The recent Budget provided very little new cash to help bring down Britain's high levels of child poverty - so there is no hope of halving child poverty by 2010.
"This means many more children will be growing up in poverty, and at greater risk of under-performing in school or missing out on employment opportunities in later life.
"Turning this around requires greater financial support for families, more access to jobs and improvements in education and skills."
Ministers have admitted that meeting a target to halve child poverty by 2010/11 - pledged by Tony Blair a decade ago when 3.4 million children were living in poverty - would be "very difficult" in the current financial climate.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies said the report showed inequality had risen to its highest level since 1961 and that growth of average take-home pay had slowed even before the start of the current recession.
The figures, released by the Department for Work and Pensions today, showed 5.6 million working age adults were earning less than 60% of the median national income. For a family with two children that means living on less than £361 a week.
The Households Below Average Income survey (HBAI) found consistent falls from 1998 in the number of children living below the poverty line but between 2006 and 2008 those numbers stalled.
It also found an extra 200,000 children were living in low income families which could not afford basic treats like inviting a friend home to tea or celebrating a birthday, since 2006/7.
In the population as a whole the report found 11 million people in poverty - a figure which has risen by 300,000 since 2006.
The rate of income growth in the population as a whole in the last decade has been broadly flat.
But the poorest have seen a small reduction in their income and the numbers of working age adults in poverty increased by 200,000 in 2007/8 - although statisticians said that the rise could be due to survey variations.
There are also 2.5 million pensioners living in poverty, which represents a fall of 200,000 since 1998.
The report did find large reductions in the levels of persistent poverty - households judged as being below the poverty line for three or more of the last four years - among children and pensioners since 1998.
The 2010-11 milestone was set by then Prime Minister Tony Blair as an interim target on the way to eradicating child poverty altogether by 2020.
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said that in the current economic climate, meeting the target would be hard.
"Meeting the 2010 target is very difficult," she said. "It is very difficult to model the impact of the recession on child poverty."
But, she added, the Government remains, "absolutely committed" to the 2020 target.
"We knew from the disappointing figures in 2006/7 that we were unlikely to see reductions in the child poverty figures for 07/08 but I'm pleased the child poverty rates have remained broadly stable."
She said the Government took "pre-emptive action" when drops in the figures stalled in 2006 but those measures did not come into effect until last year and the benefit would not yet be seen in the figures.
Pensions Minister Rosie Winterton said: "We've lifted 900,000 pensioners out of poverty and as an EU Commission report showed, the income of the UK's pensioners has increased significantly over the last decade.
"In 1997 UK pensioner income was well below the European average. Today their income is 9% higher than the EU average."
But shadow work and pensions secretary, Theresa May, said: "Gordon Brown's pledge to halve child poverty by 2010 is just one of countless Labour promises that lies in tatters.
"The Government needs to wake up and get a grip of this problem. Simply relying on means-tested benefits to address the symptoms of poverty is unsustainable. Instead we must tackle the root causes of poverty, such as educational failure, family breakdown, drug abuse, indebtedness and crime."
Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman, Steve Webb, accused the Government of losing the fight against child poverty.
He said: "Gordon Brown's means-tested benefits have failed to lift children and pensioners out of poverty."
Children's charities said the Government had abandoned their 2010 commitment.
Colette Marshall, UK director of Save the Children, said: "The Government has clearly broken its promise to lift up to three million children out of poverty in the UK.
"In 2001 Gordon Brown referred to child poverty as a 'scar on Britain's soul'. This scar is taking a very long time to heal."
Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnardo's, said: "Today's figures provide confirmation that Labour have abandoned their bravest commitment - to halve child poverty by 2010. For the families left to languish in the misery and debt that poverty inflicts, that is a tragedy."
Carey Oppenheim, co-director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: "The figures on child poverty released today are very disappointing as they show that progress on poverty has stagnated and even deteriorated on some measures. These figures also pre-date the recession so the number of children currently in poverty today is likely to be higher.
"The recent Budget provided very little new cash to help bring down Britain's high levels of child poverty - so there is no hope of halving child poverty by 2010.
"This means many more children will be growing up in poverty, and at greater risk of under-performing in school or missing out on employment opportunities in later life.
"Turning this around requires greater financial support for families, more access to jobs and improvements in education and skills."
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