Child poverty can be eradicated if we stop the poor paying more

Commenting on the new Joseph Rowntree Foundation report published today, The impact of benefit and tax uprating on incomes and poverty, Child Poverty Action Group’s Head of Policy, Paul Dornan, said:

“The Government has been running up the down escalator to keep their promise to end child poverty. It’s time to end years of falling benefit values and high tax burdens for the poorest. Our economy must have protection against child poverty built into it – and it must be built to last.

“For years Governments have found that an easy way to get hold of a little more spending money each year is to leave the poorest falling further and further behind. But it costs more in the long run because greater poverty means more health problems, more disability, more educational failure and more social division.

“Ministers must step up and deliver their new child poverty report’s commitment to ensure families who cannot work have the financial support to lift them out of poverty. Annual benefit increases at least in line with rising living standards are essential if this is to be achieved.”

 

Notes for editors

• The Government's new report 'Child Poverty: everybody's business' states: “Financial support needs to respond to families situations in and out of work. For those experiencing short periods out of work, they must be provided with a stable income to help them back into work, while those with greater need, including those who cannot work, are given the additional practical and financial support they need, lifting them out of poverty.” (paragraph 5.25)
• CPAG is one of over 100 member organisations of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, campaigning for public and political commitment to ensure the goals of halving child poverty by 2010 and ending child poverty by 2020 are met.

For further information please contact:
Tim Nichols
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
tnichols@cpag.org.uk