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Social Justice > Published by Guest, October 11th 2011 at 3:00 pm

How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch

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Dr Sam Royston is the Poverty and Early Years Policy Adviser for The Children’s Society

A new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has modelled the implications of current government policies on child poverty rates to 2020.

Rather than meeting the government’s legally binding commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020, the IFS predicts a rise in child poverty rates (when measured at 60 per cent of median income before housing costs) from 2009 levels of 20 per cent of children (or 2.6 million children) to 24 per cent (or 3.3 million) by 2020 - pushing some 700,000 more children into poverty.

child-povertyRather than eradicating child poverty, this would reverse all the progress on child poverty figures made since 2000.

The IFS has highlighted that much of these predicted increases in child poverty rates will result from the changes in tax and benefits announced by the coalition government over the last year and a half.

They have particularly warned that changes to the uprating of benefit entitlements, (which will see benefits increased with the consumer prices index, rather than the typically higher rate retail prices index) are likely to play a key role in increasing poverty rates.

The Children’s Society has lobbied hard to warn of the implications of some of the government’s welfare changes on particular disadvantaged groups of children. For instance we have warned of the implications of the introduction of a cap on benefit entitlements, which are likely to affect more than 200,000 children across the UK, and changes to disability living allowance, which could cut support for families affected by disabilities (who are amongst some of the most likely to live in poverty).

The IFS suggest that the figures would be even worse were it not for the introduction of the Universal Credit.  The credit will radically reform the benefits system, replacing a range of key benefits and tax credits. The Children’s Society have warmly welcomed its intention to simplify the welfare system, and to deliver increased work incentives.

However, though delivering increased support for some, many other families are likely to lose out under the Universal Credit. For example, changes to support for families with disabled children will see upwards of 100,000 children lose up to £27 per week.  Similarly, many families with young carers may see cuts in entitlement under the new system.

We hope that the government will reconsider some of these changes, so the Universal Credit works for all children and families.

The child poverty target sets a radical vision for our society, a deliberately difficult target which needs a focussed effort of political will to reach, particularly in the current economic context. The government clearly needs to do much, much more to ensure that they make this vision a reality. It would be easier to ignore the target, but to do so would be to sideline the millions of families who struggle day to day to give their children a decent chance in life.

This is something no decent society can afford.

See also:

• Child poverty the “challenge of our generation” says McConnell – Ed Jacobs, June 7th 2011

• New Labour’s record on child poverty: Lessons must be learnt – Kate Bell and Jason Strelitz, May 12th 2011

• OECD: Spending cuts threaten progress on child poverty – Will Straw, April 28th 2011

• Has the government breached its child poverty obligations? – Ed Jacobs, March 25th 2011

• Tackling the scourge of child poverty in Wales – Huw Lewis AM, February 24th 2011

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/resolution-foundation-coalition-actively-increasing-child-poverty/ The coalition is actively increasing child poverty | Left Foot Forward

    [...] also: • How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch – Dr Sam Royston, October 11th [...]

  • http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/123837650691035136 Michael

    How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/hLgBMhLP

  • http://twitter.com/anpa2001/status/123838375085096960 R Gordon

    RT @TheRightArticle: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/WstRGEhX

  • http://twitter.com/peterl_77/status/123839346100027393 Peter

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  • http://twitter.com/karenaspinall/status/123840090073075712 Karen Aspinall

    How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch: http://t.co/0coQyKJG by @ChildrenSociety’s @Sam_Royston

  • http://twitter.com/germjuices/status/123840519330729985 blubb

    Why the government want to talk about children and porn and not children and poverty: http://t.co/0coQyKJG

  • http://twitter.com/woo100/status/123857995347136512 The WOO

    RT @TheRightArticle: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/Pff6uDdW< Tories: always happens

  • http://twitter.com/earlyyearsontap/status/123858250444709888 Early Years On Tap

    How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch, report by Institute of Fiscal Studies finds http://t.co/ZcQS6SeS | Unison

  • http://twitter.com/ed_ontap/status/123858252239863808 OnTap Communications

    How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch, report by Institute of Fiscal Studies finds http://t.co/CnDtVlB6 | Unison

  • http://twitter.com/schoolsontap/status/123858254156664832 Schools On Tap

    How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch, report by Institute of Fiscal Studies finds http://t.co/btPjlgIW | Unison

  • Mr. Sensible

    Osborne said that this government’s cuts would not have an adverse impact on child poverty, but that is increasingly not the case.

  • http://twitter.com/hsmall86/status/123901614019973120 Hayley Small

    How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch, report by Institute of Fiscal Studies finds http://t.co/ZcQS6SeS | Unison

  • http://twitter.com/earlyyearserica/status/124027044186169345 Erica Evans

    How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch, report by Institute of Fiscal Studies finds http://t.co/ZcQS6SeS | Unison

  • http://twitter.com/childrensociety/status/124051025089933312 Children’s Society

    RT @leftfootfwd: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch: http://t.co/iRk52Snm by @childrensociety’s @sam_royston

  • http://twitter.com/girl_interrupt_/status/124057678279487488 Girl Interrupted

    RT @leftfootfwd: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch: http://t.co/iRk52Snm by @childrensociety’s @sam_royston

  • http://twitter.com/humanrightslaw/status/124059219723960320 human rights law

    RT @leftfootfwd: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch: http://t.co/iRk52Snm by @childrensociety’s @sam_royston

  • http://twitter.com/profjscourfield/status/124108882036527104 Jonathan Scourfield

    How will poor children get poorer on Cameron’s watch? Check out @samroyston's analysis in @leftfootfwd http://t.co/Yed6ryNX

  • http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/124124661360504832 Shamik Das

    Osborne now talking abt child poverty – as @EdBallsMP says, coalition's making things worse: C http://t.co/mydpRsDX & http://t.co/oKijo0xg

  • http://twitter.com/childrensociety/status/124128563740950528 Children’s Society

    Sobering report frm @theIFS says cnsqnce of govt reforms is 700k rise in chldrn in pvrty by 2020, says our @samroyston http://t.co/LGfeQzYj

  • http://twitter.com/dise_uk/status/124128777612705794 Diversity in Soc Ent

    Sobering report frm @theIFS says cnsqnce of govt reforms is 700k rise in chldrn in pvrty by 2020, says our @samroyston http://t.co/LGfeQzYj

  • http://twitter.com/juliebayleyifa/status/124130091331633152 Julie Bayley

    Sobering report frm @theIFS says cnsqnce of govt reforms is 700k rise in chldrn in pvrty by 2020, says our @samroyston http://t.co/LGfeQzYj

  • http://twitter.com/ormistoncft/status/124130323545067520 Ormiston C & F Trust

    Sobering report frm @theIFS says cnsqnce of govt reforms is 700k rise in chldrn in pvrty by 2020, says our @samroyston http://t.co/LGfeQzYj

  • http://twitter.com/emsical/status/124134146502180864 Emma

    Sobering report frm @theIFS says cnsqnce of govt reforms is 700k rise in chldrn in pvrty by 2020, says our @samroyston http://t.co/LGfeQzYj

  • http://twitter.com/furtherfield/status/124137273955590144 furtherfield

    Why the UK government wants to talk about children and porn and not children and poverty http://t.co/toq5G1dT

  • http://twitter.com/robmyers/status/124139648908922881 Rob Myers

    Why the UK government wants to talk about children and porn and not children and poverty http://t.co/toq5G1dT

  • http://twitter.com/joe_phillips/status/124157901551046656 Joseph Phillips

    How will poor children get poorer on Cameron’s watch? Check out @samroyston's analysis in @leftfootfwd http://t.co/Yed6ryNX

  • http://twitter.com/londoniww/status/124454909134385152 London IWW

    #Poverty: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch http://t.co/toosZy3A #ClassWar

  • http://twitter.com/supertascha/status/124455082329784320 We can do better!

    #Poverty: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch http://t.co/toosZy3A #ClassWar

  • http://twitter.com/wisconsinbear/status/124456761989140480 wisconsinbear

    #Poverty: How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch http://t.co/toosZy3A #ClassWar

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/look-left-14-10-11/ Look Left – Cameron bids Fox ‘thank you and goodbye’ | Left Foot Forward

    [...] on Left Foot Forward this week, poor children will get poorer on David Cameron’s watch (see here), as a result of the coalition’s policies actively increasing child poverty (see [...]

  • http://twitter.com/socsichildhood/status/128597640102428672 SOCSI Childhood

    How will poor children get poorer on Cameron’s watch? Check out @samroyston's analysis in @leftfootfwd http://t.co/Yed6ryNX

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/john-humphrys-is-wrong-on-social-security/ John Humphrys is wrong, wrong, wrong on social security; here’s why | Left Foot Forward

    [...] also: • How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch – Sam Royston, October 11th [...]

  • http://twitter.com/cllrvickymd/status/129652884659896320 Victoria MacDonald

    In light of John Humphrey's documentary on tonight……read this! http://t.co/pnFWi4hQ

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/11/star-tory-harriett-baldwin-plan-to-stop-poor-having-too-many-kids/ A-list Tory ‘asks’ how we can stop the poor from having too many kids | Left Foot Forward

    [...] also: • How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch – Dr Sam Royston, October 11th [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/12/does-the-child-poverty-agenda-now-belong-to-the-conservatives/ Does the child poverty agenda now belong to the Conservatives? | Left Foot Forward

    [...] How poor children will get poorer on Cameron’s watch – Dr Sam Royston, October 11th 2011 Share | Permalink | Leave a comment [...]

  • http://twitter.com/malarky67/status/162174846581739520 StephenH

    @zoesqwilliams no idea on Mensch figs.. it runs counter to the IFS study summarised here http://t.co/Xv2PJlsJ