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21/08/2003
Children in poverty need extra £5 per week, says charity
The government will "almost certainly" miss its first target for reducing child poverty unless tax credits for children are increased from next April, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) claimed today.
Launching its campaign, 'Make it a fiver Gordon!', the CPAG is calling on the Chancellor Gordon Brown to give an extra £5 a week for each child living in low-income families from next April.
The government has set itself a target to reduce the number of children living in poverty by a quarter (from 1999's figure of 4.2 million children) by the end of 2004/05. There will need to be fewer than 3.1 million children in poverty in 2004/05 to meet the target. Children are defined as being in poverty if the household income is below 60% of median incomes, after allowing for expenditure on housing costs.
Forecasts by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest that an increase of between £3 and £5 a week in the new child tax credit (above planned uprating in line with average earnings) may be needed to ensure the target is met, the CPAG say.
In its Green Budget 2003, published in January 2003, the IFS estimated that the increase of £5 a week in the per-child element of the child tax credit would cost around £1.7 billion a year.
Martin Barnes, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group, said: "The Chancellor said in the budget that he wanted to make faster progress in tackling child poverty, but without a significant increase in the child tax credit the first milestone target for reducing child poverty will almost certainly be missed.
"Significant increases in financial support for children have been made but more needs to be done if the ambitious targets to lift children out of poverty are to be achieved."
(gmcg)
Launching its campaign, 'Make it a fiver Gordon!', the CPAG is calling on the Chancellor Gordon Brown to give an extra £5 a week for each child living in low-income families from next April.
The government has set itself a target to reduce the number of children living in poverty by a quarter (from 1999's figure of 4.2 million children) by the end of 2004/05. There will need to be fewer than 3.1 million children in poverty in 2004/05 to meet the target. Children are defined as being in poverty if the household income is below 60% of median incomes, after allowing for expenditure on housing costs.
Forecasts by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest that an increase of between £3 and £5 a week in the new child tax credit (above planned uprating in line with average earnings) may be needed to ensure the target is met, the CPAG say.
In its Green Budget 2003, published in January 2003, the IFS estimated that the increase of £5 a week in the per-child element of the child tax credit would cost around £1.7 billion a year.
Martin Barnes, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group, said: "The Chancellor said in the budget that he wanted to make faster progress in tackling child poverty, but without a significant increase in the child tax credit the first milestone target for reducing child poverty will almost certainly be missed.
"Significant increases in financial support for children have been made but more needs to be done if the ambitious targets to lift children out of poverty are to be achieved."
(gmcg)
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Ministers Attend London Child Poverty Summit
There's to be a combined effort to tackle the issue of child poverty today as Children's Minister, Beverley Hughes; Financial Secretary, Stephen Timms; Minister for London, Tony McNulty; Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and London Councils' Chairman Councillor Merrick Cockell meet to discuss London's child poverty problems and to announce a joint tar
19 June 2007
More than a million children affected by 'severe poverty'
Nearly 1.3 million children are living in severe poverty in the UK, a report by Save the Children has revealed. The charity said that around one in ten children in the UK are now living in families where the income is so low that children are living without essentials like a proper diet or heating in the home.
More than a million children affected by 'severe poverty'
Nearly 1.3 million children are living in severe poverty in the UK, a report by Save the Children has revealed. The charity said that around one in ten children in the UK are now living in families where the income is so low that children are living without essentials like a proper diet or heating in the home.
11 October 2011
Gov Tax Plans Will Increase Poverty – IFS
A report by a major economic research institute has found the Governments policies on tax and benefits will lead to a major increase in poverty over the next few years. The forecast from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) into the UK's poverty levels up to 2021 predicts poverty will rise by about 600,000 children and 800,000 working-age adults.
Gov Tax Plans Will Increase Poverty – IFS
A report by a major economic research institute has found the Governments policies on tax and benefits will lead to a major increase in poverty over the next few years. The forecast from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) into the UK's poverty levels up to 2021 predicts poverty will rise by about 600,000 children and 800,000 working-age adults.
01 December 2003
£1bn needed to ensure child poverty goal is met
Around £1 billion more might need to be spent for the government to meet its target to reduce child poverty to 3.1 million by 2004-05, according to a leading think-tank.
£1bn needed to ensure child poverty goal is met
Around £1 billion more might need to be spent for the government to meet its target to reduce child poverty to 3.1 million by 2004-05, according to a leading think-tank.
11 February 2004
Child poverty group calls for plans to revise figures to be dropped
A children's campaign group has claimed that the government is planning to introduce an accounting method which could see up to one million children in poverty wiped off official statistics. The group, End Child Poverty, issued its call as Secretary of State Andrew Smith appears before a Commons Work and Pensions select committee today.
Child poverty group calls for plans to revise figures to be dropped
A children's campaign group has claimed that the government is planning to introduce an accounting method which could see up to one million children in poverty wiped off official statistics. The group, End Child Poverty, issued its call as Secretary of State Andrew Smith appears before a Commons Work and Pensions select committee today.
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