Child poverty can be ended with more investment – CPAG backs JRF findings

Campaigners have backed the conclusions of a Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) report into what more the Government must do to get its child poverty targets back on track.

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said it hoped the report’s findings – that an extra £4 billion a year (0.3 per cent of GDP) is needed to achieve the target of halving child poverty by 2010 – would influence the DWP’s child poverty strategy and next year’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

CPAG Chief Executive Kate Green said today:

“Hundreds of thousands of children have been lifted out of poverty since 1997, but millions remain below the poverty line. Having missed its first milestone earlier this year, the Government needs to urgently get back on track towards its target of halving child poverty by 2010.

“The simple truth is that further investment in benefits and tax credits is vital to lift people out of poverty, ensure that work pays and meet the 2010 goal. But if we fail to make this investment now and the full potential of millions of children continues to be wasted, the cost to society will be very much higher.

“In the longer term and if we are to end child poverty once and for all, the report clearly shows that we need to improve educational opportunities so that today’s poor children don’t become tomorrow’s poor parents.

“As the Government prepares to publish an updated child poverty strategy in the autumn and its Comprehensive Spending Review next year, the JRF report should be vital summer reading for Ministers.”

Notes

Find out more about What will it take to end child poverty? Firing on all cylinders at http://www.jrf.org.uk/child-poverty/publications.asp#what

For further information from CPAG please contact:
Alex Belardinelli
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
abelardinelli@cpag.org.uk