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JRF - Benefit freeze: UK’s record of tackling child poverty at risk
Campbell Robb, chief executive at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), coomented on today's IFS report which shows relative child poverty is set to increase from 30% to 37% by 2021
These shocking figures show the UK’s proud record of reducing child poverty is at risk of unravelling: it could mean an additional 1.2 million children in poverty by the end of the Parliament. Twenty years of progress is at stake unless the Government takes urgent action at next month’s Budget.
“The biggest drivers of the increase in child poverty are changes to benefits and tax credits, especially the freeze on most working age benefits. This will leave families struggling to cover the rising cost of essentials as benefits fail to top up low pay and for those out of work incomes stay the same while prices rise.
“The Chancellor must lift the freeze in the Budget so these projections do not become reality.”
