Poor families need support for full food and fuel inflation

Commenting on the announcement today of new inflation figures that will be used as the basis for benefit uprating, the Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Kate Green, said:

“Food prices and travel fares are up more than ten percent and fuel is up nearly forty percent. These are the basics and hard pressed families are going to benefit little from a decrease in the cost of leisure goods.

“Benefits are already well below the poverty line. If benefits and the minimum wage are not uprated in line with the real costs families face this winter, the safety net has a major hole in it. The poorest families must not be excluded from the economic rescue package.”

Notes for editors

• In the last 12 months to September 2008 within the RPI index:
  - Food prices have increased by 11.2%
  - Fuel and light prices have increased by 39.6%
  - Fares and other travel costs have increased by 10.1%
  - Leisure goods have decreased by 2.7%
• The Rossi index, the inflation figure excluding housing and associated costs and on which means tested benefit uprating is based, is 6.3%
• CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.
• CPAG is one of over 130 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.
• CPAG publishes the Fuel Rights Handbook, the standard practical guide to the rights of gas and electricity consumers coping with fuel bills, debt and related problems with fuel supply. For more information, visit www.cpag.org.uk/publications/

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