Child Poverty Action Group

New figures show 66% of poor children live in working families.

The poll, released by the End Child Poverty Campaign, shows 82 per cent of people view child poverty as a priority.

CPAG comments on reports that the Labour Party has no plans to restore child benefit in full to all parents. Read our statement.

The high levels of child poverty in the UK are currently costing the country at least £29 billion a year – or £1,098 per household – according to new research released today by Donald Hirsch of Loughborough University. More in our press release.

CPAG has launched a new online tool for advisers to tell us about the effects of benefit changes in London. We need your help to show the real impact of welfare reform on families.

Do investments in services such as children’s centres reduce child poverty more effectively than supporting families' incomes? Our Chief Executive Alison Garnham looks at the evidence and challenges those who argue that child benefit should be frozen to pay for childcare. Read her blog in the New Statesman here.

A new report from the Institue for Fiscal Studies predicts that relative child poverty will increase by 34% and absolute child poverty will increase by 55% in the decade from 2010-2020. CPAG's Chief Executive said: 'We always put our children’s needs first in family life, and we should do as a nation too. But today’s dire projections reveal we are in danger of failing the next generation.' More in our press release.

A new report Will Universal Credit Work?, published by the TUC and CPAG, finds that this new benefit risks failing even on its own terms unless adjustments to its design are made and broader policies to tackle the causes of poverty are put in place. 

The Chancellor described it as a budget for families looking to work hard and aspiring to get on, but CPAG believes most low income families have very few reasons to be cheerful and plenty to be fearful.

The increase to the personal tax allowance mainly helps higher earners - the lowest paid see it tapered back again at 85p in the pound through Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

The government has today announced a new scheme, to start in three years' time, to give tax relief to families for childcare costs.

However, CPAG is concerned that it would do very little to help the families that need it most, or to reduce child poverty.

See press release for our full response.