The latest figures from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) have revealed that Tower Hamlets has the highest level of child poverty in the UK. During 2017/2018, it was estimated that 56.7%of children in the borough were living below the breadline, after housing costs were taken into account. Marking London Challenge Poverty Week, Unmesh Desai AM has called for the Government to use “the necessary levers” to end the Child Benefit and Tax Credit freeze and scrap the two-child limit on welfare payments.
The End Child Poverty coalition recently published several recommendations for the Government to adopt to tackle the issue, such as ending the freeze on Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit and ensuring that Housing Benefit keeps up with increases with local rents.
In June, CPAG and the Church of England also published a report which called upon the Government to scrap their two-child limit on benefits, after projecting that it will affect 1.8 million children across the country by 2022/2023.
This week, during a Parliamentary Select Committee, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey MP, refused to acknowledge a link between the Government’s two-child policy and rising levels of destitution amongst families.
Another recent study undertaken by CPAG, which used the borough of Tower Hamlets as a case study, revealed that the transition to Universal Credit and the Government’s policy of leaving claimants to wait five weeks for their first payment, has plunged low-income families below the breadline.
In their ‘Five Weeks Too Long’ report, released last month, the Trussell Trust also identified the rollout of Universal Credit as a significant driver behind the increased reliance upon food banks across the country.
From City Hall, the Mayor of London is using his powers through his Health Inequalities Strategy and £45 million Young Londoners Fund to reduce some of the barriers that the most vulnerable and impoverished children in the capital face when it comes to accessing opportunities and vital services.
Local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, said:
“The scale of child poverty in our community is absolutely shameful and sadly continues to increase.
“Let’s be clear, the Government have their hands on the necessary levers that could turn this situation around. They have to act on the sustained calls asking them to rethink their damaging welfare reforms and cuts.
“It's unbelievable that there was no direct mention of child poverty in the recent Queen’s Speech, and following this, that the Work and Pensions Secretary denied a link between rising child poverty and the two-child limit policy.
“During London Challenge Poverty week, I am calling upon the Government to wake up and take the measures needed to lift children out of destitution”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
• The latest figures from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) have revealed that Tower Hamlets has the highest levels of child poverty in the UK. During 2017/2018, it was estimated that 56.7% of children in the borough living the below the breadline, after housing costs were taken into account;
• The End Child Poverty coalition recently published several recommendations for the Government to adopt to tackle the issue, such as ending the freeze on Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit and ensuring that housing benefit keeps up with increases with local rents;
• In June, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the Church of England published a report, ‘All Kids Count’, which called upon the Government to scrap their two-child limit policy on benefits, after projecting that it will affect 1.8 million children across the country by 2022/2023.
• This week, during a Parliamentary Select Committee, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey MP, refused to acknowledge a causal link between the Government’s two child policy and rising levels of destitution amongst families;
• A study undertaken by CPAG, which used Tower Hamlets as a case study, revealed that the transition to Universal Credit and the Government’s policy of leaving claimants to wait five weeks for their first payment, has plunged low-income families below the breadline;
• The Mayor of London’s Health Inequalities Strategy can be accessed here;
• More information about the Mayor of London’s Young Londoners’ Fund can be found here;
• Unmesh Desai AM is the London Assembly Member for Barking and Dagenham.
For more information, please contact Labour Group Research and Support Officer, Nick Wilson on 020 7983 4401. Number not for publication.