In response to today’s publication of new figures from End Child Poverty, which show that London had the highest child poverty rates in the UK during 2019/2020, Labour’s London Assembly Economy Spokesperson, Marina Ahmad AM, said:
“Children in our capital are going hungry and being left behind whilst the Government sits idle, refining its “levelling-up” rhetoric. We must remember that these hugely concerning figures reflect the situation before the pandemic had even hit and they prove beyond doubt that London cannot be left out of any so-called “levelling-up” agenda.
“It is especially alarming that high rates of child poverty are becoming ingrained in many parts of London and urgent measures are needed to stop our most deprived communities from slipping into a Dickensian past.
“The safety net has been slashed time and time again over the last decade. Remember the Government have their hands on the levers of power and can put this right.
“For starters, we must see an increase in child benefits, an end to the two-child limit and five-week wait for Universal Credit payments, a permanent extension to the £20 a week uplift, and a boost to Local Housing Allowance payments so they cover average rents”.