Shock rise in number of children in poverty

The number of children growing up in poverty in working households is set to be a million higher than in 2010, according to new research.

A study for the TUC estimated that 3.1 million children with working parents will be below the official breadline this year.

Around 600,000 children with working parents have been “pushed” into poverty because of the government’s benefit cuts and public sector pay restrictions, said the report.

The East Midlands will have the biggest increase in child poverty among working families, followed by the West Midlands and Northern Ireland, the study by Landman Economics found.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Child poverty in working households has shot up since 2010.

“Years of falling incomes and benefit cuts have had a terrible human cost. Millions of parents are struggling to feed and clothe their kids.

“The government is in denial about how many working families just can’t make ends meet.

“We need ministers to boost the minimum wage now, and use the social security system to make sure no child grows up in a family struggling to get by.”

A government spokeswoman said: “We do not recognise the TUC’s figures. The reality is there are now one million fewer people living in absolute poverty compared with 2010, including 300,000 fewer children.”