Commenting on the publication
today of the mid-term report of the Conservative Party's Social
Justice Policy Group, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group,
Kate Green, said:
"The Conservatives are right to identify the higher risk
of poverty faced by disadvantaged groups such as children of lone
parents, but they must be careful not to jump to naive conclusions
about complex problems. A marriage certificate is not a magic
cure-all – it does not end addiction, it does not cure a
mental health condition, it does not cancel debt, it does not
increase skills and qualifications and it does not provide employment.
Addressing these problems will do more to lift children out of
poverty than using the tax and benefit system to penalise children
for their family background.
"Social enterprise and support into work have important
roles to play, but they are not enough. Half of children in poverty
come from families with working parents, so the Conservatives
must find answers to lift them out of poverty too. For child poverty
to be ended, benefit levels and low pay have to be addressed.
This was a key recommendation of the Harker report, which politicians
of all parties must back if their claims on addressing poverty
are to be taken seriously.
"We urge the Conservatives not just to look to the voluntary
sector, but to engage businesses and employers too, gaining commitments
on fair levels of pay and opportunities to gain skills and qualifications
in the workplace. They must also make a clear commitment to those
who are unable to work that the financial support they receive
will not leave their children in poverty."
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