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| Poverty measures should be changed, says Duncan Smith | Poverty measures should be changed, says Duncan Smith |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Drug addiction, homelessness and unemployment should be considered as well as income when defining child poverty, the government says. | Drug addiction, homelessness and unemployment should be considered as well as income when defining child poverty, the government says. |
| Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith says the current narrow definition wrongly led Labour to focus only on increasing welfare spending. | Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith says the current narrow definition wrongly led Labour to focus only on increasing welfare spending. |
| But Labour accused the government of abandoning families to poverty. | But Labour accused the government of abandoning families to poverty. |
| It comes ahead of figures expected to show the last government did not meet a target to halve child poverty by 2010. | It comes ahead of figures expected to show the last government did not meet a target to halve child poverty by 2010. |
| The Child Poverty Act, binding UK governments to eradicate child poverty by 2020, counts children living in households with an income less than 60% of the median. | The Child Poverty Act, binding UK governments to eradicate child poverty by 2020, counts children living in households with an income less than 60% of the median. |
| The current government, however, believes the measure of poverty is too narrow and can be perverse because, if average incomes fall, the poverty line falls too. | The current government, however, believes the measure of poverty is too narrow and can be perverse because, if average incomes fall, the poverty line falls too. |
| 'Life chances' | 'Life chances' |
| Mr Duncan Smith told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that as middle and upper incomes rose from 2003 onwards, Labour ministers went on "a massive spending spree on welfare" to ensure that those at the opposite end of the spectrum did not fall below the poverty line. | Mr Duncan Smith told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that as middle and upper incomes rose from 2003 onwards, Labour ministers went on "a massive spending spree on welfare" to ensure that those at the opposite end of the spectrum did not fall below the poverty line. |
| He said that while income would "always play a part in future measurements of poverty", focusing on money alone resulted in people becoming trapped on benefits. | He said that while income would "always play a part in future measurements of poverty", focusing on money alone resulted in people becoming trapped on benefits. |
| "It's not that redistributing income [isn't] right... we have to do some of that, but we need to make sure that what we're doing has a change to someone's life," he said | "It's not that redistributing income [isn't] right... we have to do some of that, but we need to make sure that what we're doing has a change to someone's life," he said |
| "Not just leaving them as they are with more money, but actually getting them to the state... where they take control of their lives. | "Not just leaving them as they are with more money, but actually getting them to the state... where they take control of their lives. |
| "That's fair to them and then that becomes fair to taxpayers who accept that what they're paying their taxes for is reasonable because they're seeing something changing." | "That's fair to them and then that becomes fair to taxpayers who accept that what they're paying their taxes for is reasonable because they're seeing something changing." |
| In a speech later, Mr Duncan Smith will cite the example of drug-addicted parents who may be technically taken out of poverty by an extra pound but spend that money on another drug fix. | In a speech later, Mr Duncan Smith will cite the example of drug-addicted parents who may be technically taken out of poverty by an extra pound but spend that money on another drug fix. |
| "Unless we find a way of properly measuring changes to children's life chances, rather than the present measurement of income alone, we risk repeating the failures of the past," he will say. | "Unless we find a way of properly measuring changes to children's life chances, rather than the present measurement of income alone, we risk repeating the failures of the past," he will say. |
| But Alison Garnham, from the Child Poverty Action Group, said there were "mountains of evidence" which showed that "low income is associated with significant deficits" in children's lives. | But Alison Garnham, from the Child Poverty Action Group, said there were "mountains of evidence" which showed that "low income is associated with significant deficits" in children's lives. |
| "Poor children on a low income are behind in education, they are likely to suffer more lifelong limiting illnesses, die younger, and have poor self-esteem," she told the BBC. | "Poor children on a low income are behind in education, they are likely to suffer more lifelong limiting illnesses, die younger, and have poor self-esteem," she told the BBC. |
| Universal credit | Universal credit |
| Mr Duncan Smith will present figures suggesting the government's universal credit - which will replace a series of benefits and tax credits - will pull the "vast majority" of young people out of poverty if at least one parent works 35 hours a week at the minimum wage. The figure would be 24 hours for a lone parent. | Mr Duncan Smith will present figures suggesting the government's universal credit - which will replace a series of benefits and tax credits - will pull the "vast majority" of young people out of poverty if at least one parent works 35 hours a week at the minimum wage. The figure would be 24 hours for a lone parent. |
| But Oxfam's director of UK poverty Chris Jones said 60% of working-age adults in poverty were not from jobless households. | But Oxfam's director of UK poverty Chris Jones said 60% of working-age adults in poverty were not from jobless households. |
| "The government is justifying huge cuts to welfare support for people on low incomes by saying this will incentivise work, but there simply aren't enough decent jobs available," he said. | "The government is justifying huge cuts to welfare support for people on low incomes by saying this will incentivise work, but there simply aren't enough decent jobs available," he said. |
| "If we carry on down this path, the UK will return to levels of inequality not seen since Victorian times." | "If we carry on down this path, the UK will return to levels of inequality not seen since Victorian times." |
| Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: "In a great country like Britain we should stand behind parents fighting to bring up their children free of the curse of poverty. | Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: "In a great country like Britain we should stand behind parents fighting to bring up their children free of the curse of poverty. |
| "Behind [Prime Minister David] Cameron's promises we learn today that those parents and their children will now be abandoned and told, 'you are on your own'." | "Behind [Prime Minister David] Cameron's promises we learn today that those parents and their children will now be abandoned and told, 'you are on your own'." |
| A consultation on how best to measure child poverty will begin in the autumn. | A consultation on how best to measure child poverty will begin in the autumn. |
| Do you consider yourself or your family to be living in poverty? Do you think the definition of child poverty needs to change? If you are willing to be interviewed by the BBC please fill in the form below. |