Government Fails to Reach Child Poverty Targets; Christian Charity Speaks Out

Figures released last week have revealed that the British government has failed to meet its child poverty target for 2004/2005.

|TOP|The figures were released by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), and revealed that not only did the government fail to reach its child poverty targets but also the number of children living in poor two-parent families had not fallen at all.

According to the figures, there are still 2 million children living in two-parent families who are still in poverty in Britain, on an after housing cost basis.

CARE, the Christian social concern charity, has reacted to the release of the figures, and its General Director Nola Leach stated, “Much attention is being given, quite rightly, to the difficulties of children of lone parents. But of equal concern are the children of couples in poverty; sadly they receive little notice. Tax credits have been structured in a way which makes it difficult for working couples to lift themselves and their children out of poverty. This is undermining marriage and stable family life.”

|AD|CARE explain that the Department of Work and Pensions analysis of low-income households (Households Below Average Income 2004/05) reveals that:

- The Government has not met its child poverty targets – in 2004/05 child poverty fell by only 100,000 to 3.4 million after housing costs are taken into account and to 2.4 million on a before housing costs basis (compared with targets of 3 million and 2.4 million respectively);

- In 2004/05, more than 2 million of the 3.4 million children in poverty (almost 60%) were in two-parent families, the great majority of whom are in work;

- Although child poverty fell by 100,000 in 2004/05, there was no reduction in the number of poor children living in two-parent families;

- To escape poverty, a couple with two children in social housing would have needed to earn almost four times as much as a comparable lone parent family.

Last week on the ‘Today Programme’, Margaret Hodge said that it was “right to target money at the very poorest”.

Don Draper, CARE’s Tax Credits Consultant, said, “This is what tax credits do NOT do. They do not target the poorest families. Of the 2 million children living in poverty who live in two-parent families, 1.4 million are in families where one or both parents are in work. It is not surprising therefore that the Government has not met its child poverty target.”

Ministers have often said that support should be given on the basis need - not family structure. Don Draper concluded: “Sadly, this is not happening with tax credits.”