110,000 North East children of working parents live in poverty
MORE than 110,000 children in the North East are in poverty despite growing up in working households, it is claimed.
The figure is more than 40,000 up on 2010 which represents a massive 58% increase, according to new research.
It was carried out for the TUC by Landman Economics whose analysis concluded that the Government’s in-work benefit cuts and public sector pay restrictions were the main drivers of the increase.
These two factors alone accounted for 34,700 children with working parents in the region who have been pushed into poverty, says the report.
The TUC says that other key factors include weak wage growth, the spread of insecure work, population growth, the increase in working families and household incomes.
TUC regional secretary for the North East, Beth Farhat, said: “Child poverty in working households – a 50% increase on 2010 when the has shot up since 2010. Conservative-Liberal Democrat “Years of falling incomes and coalition Government was formed. benefit cuts have had a terrible The figures are published as tens human cost in the region. Thousands of thousands of workers prepare to of parents are struggling to march in London this Saturday as feed and clothe their kids.” part of the TUC’s ‘A New Deal for In 2010 there were 70,503 North Working People’ demonstration. East children living in poverty in Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn working households, compared to will address a rally in Hyde Park, 111,671 today. that will also feature speeches by Families where both parents TUC general secretary Frances work in the public sector are the O’Grady and frontline workers. biggest losers from the Government’s Ms Farhat added: “The Government pay restrictions and benefit is in denial about how many changes, according to the working families just can’t make research. Their average household ends meet. That’s why people from income has fallen by £83 a week in across the North East will travelling real terms. to London this Saturday to Households where one parent demand a new deal for working works in the public sector people. and another works in the “We need ministers to boost the private sector have minimum wage now, and use the lost, on average, £53 a social security system to make week. sure no child grows up in a family Households with struggling to get by.” private sector workers A Government spokesperson only have seen said: “We do not recognise the their incomes fall TUC’s figures. The reality is there by £31 a week on are now one million fewer people average. living in absolute poverty compared According to the with 2010, including 300,000 same research, an fewer children. estimated 3.1 million “We want every child to get the children nationwide very best chances in life. We know are now growing up the best route out of poverty is in poverty in through work, which is why it’s working really encouraging that both the households employment rate and household incomes have never been higher.”