4 MILLION KIDS ‘ARE LIVING IN POVERTY’

Toll up 500k in 5yrs as working families struggle, says charity

ANOTHER 500,000 children have been plunged into poverty in the past five years to take the UK’s tally of shame to 4.1 million.

An increasing number of parents are trapped in low-wage jobs, charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns.

And its report reveals the total number of people in poverty stands at 14.3 million – or 22% of the population. Of these, 8.2 million are working-age adults and 1.9 million are pensioners.

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. It means families are trapped in impossible situations. It’s time for us to decide what kind of country we want to be.”

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Margaret Greenwood said the report should be a wake-up call, adding: “There is something wrong when the number of people in work in poverty is increasing faster than employment.”

The National Housing Federation’s Kate Henderson said housing shortages are a major driver, adding: “Building affordable homes must remain at the top of the political agenda.”

UNDENIABLE