CAP wants 'much more' Government commitment to end child poverty

Church Action on Poverty (CAP) said it is "disappointed" with new statistics issued by the Government yesterday showing that the number of children living below the poverty line has increased for a second year running.

The increase in the number of children living in poverty from 2.8 million in 2006 to 2.9 million in 2007 comes in spite of the Government's target to halve child poverty by 2010. The Conservatives believes that target is unlikely to be met.

Once housing costs were taken into consideration, the number of children living in poverty rose by a further 100,000.

The Government admitted it found the results of the report "disappointing".

CAP National Coordinator Niall Cooper commented: "These disappointing figures show what a huge task the Government took on when it committed to halving child poverty.

"Much more commitment and investment are needed if we are ever to reach the target."

CAP said that an additional £3 billion would be needed to lift 1.7 million more children out of poverty. The Government aims to eradicate child poverty completely by 2020.

CARE's director of parliamentary affairs, Dan Boucher, said meanwhile that the Government had to make changes to the tax credits system if it is to meet its child poverty targets.

"When the Government works out whether a family is in poverty it takes account of the financial needs of all members of the family. Tax credits, however, only take account of the needs of one parent which means that children in poverty in two parent families effectively don't receive the same level of assistance as children in single parent families," he explained.

"From a poverty point of view this wouldn't be a problem if poverty were confined to single parent families. In reality, however, most poor children in Britain live in two parent families.

"This design fault also has the effect of creating a fiscal incentive for many couples with children on low to modest incomes to live apart, increasing the chances that children will not be brought up in a home with both parents."

CARE urged the Government to review the tax credit design "to ensure that children in poverty get the help they require irrespective of their family type".

"This is a simple matter of fairness," he added.

CAP announced yesterday that it is running free training events in Manchester and London this July to help people get involved with the Get Fair campaign to eradicate poverty in the UK and Homelessness Action Week 2009.

Cooper commented: "Three quarters of the population think that the gap between rich and poor has grown too large. Get Fair is a new alliance of charities and faith groups which has come together with one simple message: it's time for politicians to get fair.

"We want them to take action to narrow the gap between rich and poor; to end child poverty, and to make poverty history for everyone in the UK by 2020. To make a big noise about poverty in the UK, we need all the voices we can get."

The training events will inform people of how they can run local campaigns, lobby their MPs, and take part in a giant rally in Trafalgar Square on October 4 calling for an end to child poverty.