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Hooper et al., 2007, Living with hardship 24/7, The Frank Buttle Trust.
Campaign News
Empty strategy leaves families in growing hardship - 5th of Apr, 2011
In response to the publication today of the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy, the Campaign to End Child Poverty’s spokesperson, Imran Hussain, said:
"It is empty of action on some of the key requirements and a long way below the standard required by Parliament in the Child Poverty Act.
"Ministers can’t really call this a strategy as it doesn’t have the comprehensive measures needed across government to impact on children’s lives. It is not enough after a year in power to still be setting out mood music. Families are facing growing hardship today and you cannot tell them to wait another generation.
"Failure to establish the independent Child Poverty Commission in time to consult on the strategy is a major neglect of the Government’s responsibility to Parliament. The proposals are weak and not properly evidence-based compared to what could have been achieved with the expert advice of the Commission.
"The evidence shows that ending child poverty and reducing inequality are the means by which we create a society with strong social mobility. The Government has put the cart before the horse and progress on both child poverty and social mobility may go nowhere as a consequence."
Notes to editors:
(1) The strategy has been published under the requirements of the Child Poverty Act 2010, which received Royal Assent on 25 March 2010 and was supported by both the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrat Party. See the text of the Child Poverty Act here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/9/contents
(2) The Child Poverty Act required the Government to establish an independent Child Poverty Commission in time to consult it while preparing the UK Child Poverty Strategy (sections 8 – 10)
(3) The Child Poverty Act requires the Government’s strategy to include an explanation of how it intends to make progress on the four dimensions of child poverty for which targets are set (section 9):
- Relative low income
- Material deprivation (with relative low income)
- Absolute low income
- Persistent low income
(4) The Child Poverty Act requires the Government’s strategy to include the measures it thinks need to be taken across the following areas (section 9):
- "the promotion and facilitation of the employment of parents or of the development of the skills of parents"
- "the provision of financial support for children and parents,"
- "the provision of information, advice and assistance to parents and the promotion of parenting skills"
- "physical and mental health, education, childcare and social services"
- "housing, the built or natural environment and the promotion of social inclusion"
(Note that these are often referred to as the ‘building blocks’ of the strategy)
(5) The Child Poverty Act requires the Government’s strategy to set out the measures it will take to prevent children experiencing socio-economic disadvantage (section 9).
(5) The Campaign to End Child Poverty submitted to the consultation on the strategy the shared principles the members organisations believe are needed to meet the Government’s obligations under the Act and may real progress reducing child poverty. These principles are attached to the email version of this press release as an additional document.
(6) 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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