“The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission
is right to sound the alarm bell on rising child
poverty.
“In-work poverty is an inconvenient truth for
politicians – affecting more than half of all households in poverty - and
the safety net on offer to those who fall on hard times is increasingly
threadbare.
“As the SMCP recognises in its report, forecasts
for JRF show that one in four families will be living in absolute poverty by
2020, thanks to our insecure and low-paid jobs market and cuts to
welfare.
“Poverty is risky, wasteful and costly at a time
when our economy is looking to recover. Even at a time when resources are
scarce, steps can be taken to reduce hardship faced by millions of
families.
“This means getting to grips with low wages by
paying the Living Wage and dealing with the rising cost of essentials, as well
as offering affordable and quality childcare and improved work incentives under
Universal Credit.
“We need a comprehensive strategy to address the
underlying causes of poverty - but we also need to see political will to make
it a reality.”