Better support and decent jobs, not pressure and threats are the way to tackle child poverty

Responding to the leaked draft of the welfare reform green paper ‘No one written off: reforming the welfare state to reward responsibility’,

Kate Green, Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group said

“While welcoming the reiterated commitment to a society free of child poverty, many of these proposals increase pressure on parents and disabled people - if so many who are not working want employment then there is absolutely no need to ratchet up conditions and threats. A better strategy is to ensure decent jobs with decent conditions. Rushing parents into inappropriate jobs risks poverty pay and jobs which undermine family responsibilities.

“The full disregard of child maintenance received will help the children of lone parents, a group which faces a great risk of poverty”

“The resurrection of David Freud’s controversial proposal to privatise welfare to work provision for the most disadvantaged will cause concern. Providers paid by results may not have the best interests of claimants at heart – we need guarantees the profit motive will not trump fairness in the system.”

 

Notes for editors

• 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 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:
Paul Dornan CPAG
07816 909302