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Lowest-paid parents 'can't afford basic lifestyle' Lowest-paid parents 'can't afford basic lifestyle'
(about 9 hours later)
Low-earning parents working full-time are still unable to earn enough to provide their family with a basic, no-frills lifestyle, research has found. Low-earning parents working full-time are still unable to earn enough to provide their family with a basic, no-frills lifestyle, research suggests.
A couple on the National Living Wage with two children would be £49 a week short of the income needed, according to the Child Poverty Action Group. A single parent on the National Living Wage is £74 a week short of the minimum income needed, according to the Child Poverty Action Group.
For a single parent it was worse, with them £74 a week short of the minimum income needed, the charity said. A couple with two children would be £49 a week short of the income needed, the charity said.
But this was better than last year, when couples were £59 a week short.
The National Living Wage is currently £7.83 an hour for those aged over 25.The National Living Wage is currently £7.83 an hour for those aged over 25.
The government said fewer families were living in absolute poverty. A government spokesperson said fewer families were living in absolute poverty.
"The employment rate is at a near-record high and the National Living Wage has delivered the highest pay increase for the lowest paid in 20 years, worth £2,000 extra per year for a full-time worker," she added. "The employment rate is at a near-record high and the National Living Wage has delivered the highest pay increase for the lowest paid in 20 years, worth £2,000 extra per year for a full-time worker," the spokesperson added.
But Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said gains from modest increases in wages had been "clawed back" through the freezing of tax credits. But the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said gains from modest increases in wages had been "clawed back" through the freezing of tax credits.
Rising prices and changes to various benefit schemes had also "hit family budgets hard", it said.Rising prices and changes to various benefit schemes had also "hit family budgets hard", it said.
Improving Funding essentials
The charity's Cost of a Child report, however, showed an improvement on last year when couples were £59 per week short of the income needed for a minimum standard of living. The CPAG's definition of a "no-frills" lifestyle is based on the Minimum Income Standard, a set of criteria drawn up by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University.
The overall cost for a couple raising a first child until they are 18 also fell from £155,100 to £150,800, according to the report which is based on research from Loughborough University. It calculates the income required for a minimum standard of living based on essentials such as food, clothes and accommodation, as well as "other costs required to take part in society".
It calculates the income required for a minimum standard of living based on essentials such as food, clothes and accommodation as well as other costs required to take part in society. The research centre asks focus groups drawn from a mixture of socio-economic backgrounds what they think a household would have to be able to afford in order to achieve an acceptable living standard.
The charity's Cost of a Child report showed that the overall cost for a couple raising a first child until they are 18 also fell from £155,100 to £150,800.
The cost of bringing up children was heavily influenced by childcare, with full-time childcare accounting for almost half the total sum.The cost of bringing up children was heavily influenced by childcare, with full-time childcare accounting for almost half the total sum.
What is the National Living Wage?What is the National Living Wage?
The National Living Wage was introduced by then Chancellor George Osborne in his Budget in July 2015.The National Living Wage was introduced by then Chancellor George Osborne in his Budget in July 2015.
It came into effect in April 2016, and is currently £7.83 an hour for workers aged 25 and over, with the aim of increasing it to £9 an hour by 2020.It came into effect in April 2016, and is currently £7.83 an hour for workers aged 25 and over, with the aim of increasing it to £9 an hour by 2020.
Child costs 'substantial'
CPAG's chief executive Alison Garnham said there was "strong public support" for the government to top up the wages of low-paid parents.CPAG's chief executive Alison Garnham said there was "strong public support" for the government to top up the wages of low-paid parents.
She urged the government to use November's Budget to "unfreeze benefits and restore work allowances".She urged the government to use November's Budget to "unfreeze benefits and restore work allowances".
"Income from work alone is not sufficient to enable some to meet their families' needs to escape poverty and the cost of a child is substantial," she added."Income from work alone is not sufficient to enable some to meet their families' needs to escape poverty and the cost of a child is substantial," she added.
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