Worries over rise in child poverty

NEW research shows that child poverty in the UK has increased by 2.8% in the last four years, but experts fear the figure will grow due to the impact of coronavirus.

Researchers from Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) have analysed data that shows which regions, local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are most at risk of deprivation.

The report, published by the charity End Child Poverty, highlights the North East as the biggest regional area of concern, with a 6.5% rise between 2014/15 and 2018/19.

Overall, the highest rates of child poverty are seen in northern local authorities such as Oldham, Middlesbrough and Blackburn, where nearly four in ten children are in poverty.

The ongoing COVID-19 lockdown is putting struggling families under even more financial pressure and could drag even more people below the poverty threshold, say the report’s authors.

Professor Donald Hirsch, director of CRSP, who led the study, said: “As we went into the present crisis, child poverty rates were rising after years of austerity culminating in a freeze in out of work benefits. A month before the freeze was lifted, the country went into lockdown.

“Many families around the country are struggling to keep their heads above water, faced with uncertain income and the pressures of looking after and educating children at home.

“The Government’s response to this has the potential to put more money into the hands of some of those families.

“It is helping many stay in jobs through the furlough scheme and is improving safety net incomes for some families who are out of work or in low paid jobs, by giving them around £1,000 a year more – for 12 months – if they are on Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit.”

However, millions of people still rely on the older benefits and tax credit system, including Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and Income Support, and are not eligible for the additional subsidy if they are not working.