Child poverty – London has some of worst rates in UK

COALITION OF CHARITIES AND CONCERNED GROUPS REVEALS THE CAPITAL HAS HIGHEST LEVELS OF DEPRIVATION

MORE than half of children are living in poverty in three areas of west London which are experiencing high rates of deprivation.

Figures from the End Child Poverty coalition have revealed there are 23 wards across west London where the rate stands at more than 40%, based on the the proportion living in low income households, after housing costs (AHC).

In Church Street in Westminster, 56.1% of children are growing up in poverty – an estimated 1,700 children – one of the worst rates in the UK.

In comparison, in Queen’s Gate in Kensington and Chelsea, one in 26 children (3.9%) are living in poverty, the lowest rate in west London.

Ickenham in Hillingdon has the third lowest rate of child poverty in London (9.3%). Also with low rates are Northfield in Ealing (10.7%), Palace Riverside in Hammersmith & Fulham(12.2%), Redcliffe in Kensington & Chelsea (13.2%), plus Manor ward (13.4%) and West Ruislip (13.5%) which are both in Hillingdon.

A person is classed as living in poverty if their household income is less than 60% of the average figure.

The figures show that in a total of 87 electoral wards across the UK, more than 50% of children now live in poverty.

This was a big increase from 2015 when only 21 electoral wards had more than 50% childhood poverty rates.

This reflects the fact that child poverty numbers have started to rise overall, up from 2.3 million in 2013/14 to 2.7 million in 2015/16 in the national Households Below Average Income measure – an increase of about one-sixth.

Coldhurst in Oldham is the ward with the highest poverty levels, with 62.1% of children living in poverty, and the only place where the rate tops 60%.

The top 10 areas with the highest levels also include four wards in Tower Hamlets in London, and one each in Birmingham, Blackpool, Burnley, Liverpool and Manchester.

The figures are estimates of child poverty in different areas, calculated using HMRC data and the Labour Force Survey.

Since the introduction of the benefit freeze, the coalition of charities, faith groups and unions has warned that as prices rise, low income families would find it increasingly hard to pay for the same basic essentials.

Dr Sam Royston, chair of End Child Poverty and director of policy and research at the Children’s Society said: “It is scandalous that a child born in some parts of the UK now has a greater chance of growing up in poverty than being in a family above the breadline.

“There can be little doubt that the government’s policy of maintaining the benefits freeze despite rising prices is a major contributor to the emerging child poverty crisis.”

Dr Royston added: “The coalition is also concerned that the impact of poverty may be exacerbated by a poverty premium – which means that low income families can face paying as much as £1,700 per year more than better off families to buy the same essential goods and services.

“A major contributor to this is the high cost of credit for low income families, and the coalition wants to see the government addresses this by providing better access to interest free credit.”

“No family in modern Britain should be struggling to put food on the table, heat their homes and clothe their children.

“End Child Poverty is calling on the Chancellor to end the freeze on children’s benefits, and to invest in interest free credit for low income families, to ensure that poverty doesn’t result in spiralling debt.”