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Budget ignores warnings of child poverty rise - 23rd of Mar, 2011
Responding to the Chancellor's Budget statement, End Child Poverty's Campaign Coordinator, Tim Nichols, said:
"The Budget leaves spending plans still failing the Fairness Test and does nothing to guarantee the progress needed on the Government’s child poverty targets. The Government’s first child Poverty Strategy is due to be published any day now and it will need to include some urgent and substantial action to get progress back on track.
"You cannot build a stable economy on a bedrock of poverty and inequality. It is meaningless to talk about creating conditions for growth if policies are causing family budgets to shrink and children’s life chances to dwindle. Ending child poverty is integral to getting the economy back on track.
"The Chancellor should back the child poverty strategy by investing for growth through better tax credit work incentives and more support for childcare costs so that more parents can access jobs they can raise their families on."
Notes to editors:
(1) The Budget document suggests that 50,000 may be taken out of poverty in 2011-12 and 2012-13, but states that the estimates exclude many factors and are “on the edge of statistical significance” (pages 40 and 84 of main Budget 2011 document). It is not clear if this estimate of 50,000 is for each year, or for both years together. If for each year, then the relative low income target for 2020 in the Child Poverty Act would not be reached until 2035; if it is a total across both years the target would not be reached until 2059.
(2) Under the Child Poverty Act 2010 the Government is required to (a) publish a comprehensive child poverty strategy no later than 25 March 2011; and (b) establish and independent Child Poverty Commission that it must consult on its preparation of the strategy.
(3) The End Child Poverty campaign is made up of more than 150 organisations from civic society including children's charities, child welfare organisations, social justice groups, faith groups, trade unions and others, united in our vision of a UK free of child poverty. For a full list of members, visit www.endchildpoverty.org.uk
We campaign to achieve our vision by:
- Ensuring the voices of families facing economic disadvantage are heard;
- Increasing understanding of the causes and impacts of child poverty and mobilising public support and action;
- Promoting to politicians and government the case for ending child poverty by 2020, the actions that will achieve it and holding them to account on the requirements of the Child Poverty Act.
Contact:
Tim Nichols (020 7812 5216 or 07812 5216)
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