Rushed review of benefits poses child poverty threat

Commenting on today’s speech by Jim Murphy MP the Minister for Welfare Reform, and associated press comments, Child Poverty Action Group’s Chief Executive, Kate Green, said:

“The Minister’s right that it’s outrageous that those from ethnic minorities are at greater risk of poverty. Responding to the strong demand for language tuition, rather than threatening families with severe poverty by taking their benefits away is needed. Just four months ago the Government cut back the important English for Speakers of Other Languages scheme, so Ministers should work together to reverse this decision.

“The Freud review has far reaching implications for our welfare state and announcements by Ministers without proper consultation are no way for the Government to conduct a fundamental review of the benefits system.

“We are particularly worried that despite a recent commitment that all new DWP policy would be subject to a child poverty impact assessment, this does not seem to be happening yet with the Freud Review. This is despite clear evidence from the US that benefit sanctions are putting more children into severe poverty.”

On today’s Downing Street backing for suggestions emerging from the Freud Review that lone-parents will be forced to look for work or have their benefits cut, Kate Green said:

“Forcing lone parents into work would be counterproductive. Voluntary employment programmes are repeatedly shown to be far more effective. The Government should concentrate on improving and extending high quality employment support, which at present is not able to meet demand from lone parents.

“A government commitment to the same level of childcare investment as countries with more working lone parents, like Denmark and Sweden, would do far more to help end child poverty than misguided efforts to force them into inappropriate work.”

Notes to Editors

• Child Poverty Action Group is a member of the End Child Poverty campaign.
• The English for Speakers of Other Languages scheme is still free for benefit recipients where provision exists, but the cuts announced last October by DfES undermine sustained employment.
• Childcare: recent information released by The Daycare Trust (www.daycaretrust.org.uk) revealed that full-time nursery places in England for children under 2 have risen by an average of 6% in the last year (from £144 to £152).
• In the UK childcare is subsided at around 25%, compared to an average 75% in the rest of Europe.
• Pay: women part-time returners to work have a 16% pay gap with equivalent full-time workers and frequently take work for which they are overqualified. (Women and Equality Unit - http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/publications/women_returners_exe_sum.pdf).

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