Child Poverty Unit needs investment and close link to Scottish Government to succeed

Commenting on today’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Peter Hain, that a new Child Poverty Unit is being created, John Dickie, head of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said:

“The commitment to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020 is the UK Government’s most important promise to voters. We welcome the new cross-departmental unit and the Secretary of State’s recognition that progress on child poverty is too slow to meet the targets. But it is important that this new Unit works closely with the Scottish Government which also has a vital role to play in ending child poverty. Removing the jobs barriers parents face, including lack of affordable childcare, and ensuring parents get the advice they need to access their full benefit and tax credits entitlements are key areas where Scottish Ministers need to act.

“We also understand that there will be no Treasury officials within the new Unit. This is a real concern as the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests around £4 billion annual investment is needed to meet the 2010 child poverty target. That investment is crucial to restoring public trust in the UK Government’s commitment to the targets and must now be made in next year’s Budget.

“The 2010 target can still be met if Governments in London and Edinburgh show the strength and political will needed to keep their promises to our poorest children.”

Notes for editors

• Today’s announcement follows heavy criticism for the UK government’s decision in the Pre-Budget Report to announce only 48p per week more for poor children (through a £25 per year Child Tax Credit increase above indexing). This was despite the most recent figures showing an increase in the number of children in poverty across the UK.
• There are currently 250 000 children in Scotland (around 3.8 million children in the UK) living below the poverty line (after housing costs).
• To meet the UK governments 2010 target 900,000 children across the UK must be lifted above the poverty line.

For further details or comment please contact:

John Dickie, Head of CPAG in Scotland
Office 0141 552 3656
Mobile 0779 534 0618