Vital support for poorest children must be free from ideological interference

Commenting on Alan Johnson’s speech this evening on parenting and relationships, the Head of Policy for Child Poverty Action Group Paul Dornan, said:

“We welcome Mr Johnson’s defence of the principle that the tax and benefits systems should not be biased in favour of any family structure.

“If the welfare system is hijacked as a tool of particular ideologies, the poorest children will suffer. Parent’s decisions on relationships with each other are complex and cannot be reduced to simple economic equations. Every child is entitled to a life free from poverty, regardless of their parent’s relationship.

“Rather than selective tax breaks, we should help families of all types by addressing factors that undermine the stable relationships people want, like the UK’s long working hours culture, lack of work-life balance, poor access to mental health therapies and high poverty levels. These same factors also damage relationships between parents and children, so addressing them will help lift Britain from the bottom of the pile for child well-being.”

Notes to Editors

• Child Poverty Action Group is a Member of the End Child Poverty Campaign

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Tim Nichols
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press@cpag.org.uk