Rise in child poverty as working parents struggle to cope – report

A THIRD of children in a typical classroom of 30 are now living in poverty as more working parents cannot make ends meet, according to a new report.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said Britain is leaving the EU with half a million more “trapped” in poverty than five years ago.

A fifth of the population, over 14 million people, are in poverty, suggested the charity, in its annual state of the nation report. Over half of those classed as in poverty are working-age adults, 4.1 million are children and 1.9 million are pensioners, the study suggested.

In-work poverty has been rising faster than employment, especially among parents, the research indicated.

Child poverty has been rising since 2011-12, much faster than expected based on population growth, said the JRF. Nearly half of children in lone-parent families live in poverty compared with one in four of those in couple families, while lone parents are more likely to be low-paid than parents in couples, according to the report.

JRF chief executive Campbell Robb said: “We are seeing a rising tide of child poverty as more parents are unable to make ends meet, despite working. This is unacceptable. It means more families are trapped in impossible situations, struggling to pay the bills, put food on the table and dealing with the terrible stresses and strains poverty places on family life.

“It’s time for us to decide what kind of country we want to be. As we leave the EU, we must tackle the burning injustice of poverty and make Britain a country that works for everyone.”