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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Child poverty: Definition could include family breakdown | Child poverty: Definition could include family breakdown |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Family breakdown, drug addiction, debt and education results are among the factors that could be used to measure child poverty in future, ministers say. | Family breakdown, drug addiction, debt and education results are among the factors that could be used to measure child poverty in future, ministers say. |
| Recent figures showed fewer children in poverty - but largely because falling wages have narrowed the gap between the poorest and average earners. | Recent figures showed fewer children in poverty - but largely because falling wages have narrowed the gap between the poorest and average earners. |
| Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith says this income-based method of measuring poverty is too simple. | Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith says this income-based method of measuring poverty is too simple. |
| He is launching a consultation on how to include other factors. | He is launching a consultation on how to include other factors. |
| But Labour suggested that the government was trying to "distract attention" from "rather bleak" trends in child poverty data. | |
| 'Sky-high' poverty | |
| "The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that child poverty is going to rise by 400,000 over the course of this Parliament, and it's a result of the government's policies," shadow employment minister Stephen Timms told the BBC News channel. | |
| "Under the last government, we saw a big reduction of over a million in the number of children below the poverty line - that number is now going up," Mr Timms added. | |
| Criticising the decision to freeze child benefit, the Labour MP warned that by 2020 the UK would be "back at the really sky-high levels of child poverty" that marred the mid-1990s unless the government changed tack. | |
| A child is considered to be living in poverty if their household income is less than 60% of averages wages. | A child is considered to be living in poverty if their household income is less than 60% of averages wages. |
| Last year that figure equated to £251 per week, which meant 2.3 million children were living in poverty. | Last year that figure equated to £251 per week, which meant 2.3 million children were living in poverty. |
| That was 300,000 fewer children than the year before - but the reduction was due to average incomes falling rather than poorer families becoming better off. | That was 300,000 fewer children than the year before - but the reduction was due to average incomes falling rather than poorer families becoming better off. |
| Mr Duncan Smith says life is unchanged for these children and a broader definition of child poverty is needed. | |
| This would be one that looks at joblessness, educational failure and family breakdown as well as income. | This would be one that looks at joblessness, educational failure and family breakdown as well as income. |
| In a speech at Clyde Children's Centre in South-East London, Mr Duncan Smith said: "Across the UK, there are children living in circumstances that simply cannot be captured by assessing whether their household has more or less than 60% of the average income. | |
| "There are many factors that impact on a child's wellbeing and ability to succeed in life... and measuring income alone does little to represent the experience of those in poverty. | "There are many factors that impact on a child's wellbeing and ability to succeed in life... and measuring income alone does little to represent the experience of those in poverty. |
| "As we saw earlier this year - when the child poverty level dropped by 2% - a fall in the median income may lift a family out of poverty on paper. | "As we saw earlier this year - when the child poverty level dropped by 2% - a fall in the median income may lift a family out of poverty on paper. |
| "Yet at a closer look, real incomes did not rise and absolute poverty was unchanged. For the 300,000 children no longer in poverty according to the official statistics, life was no different." | "Yet at a closer look, real incomes did not rise and absolute poverty was unchanged. For the 300,000 children no longer in poverty according to the official statistics, life was no different." |
| Held to account | Held to account |
| But Chris Wellings, from Save the Children, said any new method of assessing child poverty must not be too broad to gauge progress or lack of it on the problem. | But Chris Wellings, from Save the Children, said any new method of assessing child poverty must not be too broad to gauge progress or lack of it on the problem. |
| "The previous measure was very sharp, it allowed us to hold the government to account," he said. | "The previous measure was very sharp, it allowed us to hold the government to account," he said. |
| "Any new measure needs to retain income and needs to retain an ability for us to really hold the government to account for their action on child poverty." | "Any new measure needs to retain income and needs to retain an ability for us to really hold the government to account for their action on child poverty." |
| The Child Poverty Action Group said almost two-thirds of children living in poverty were in households where someone was in employment. | The Child Poverty Action Group said almost two-thirds of children living in poverty were in households where someone was in employment. |
| Building more affordable homes and reducing childcare costs were the keys to reducing child poverty, the charity added. | Building more affordable homes and reducing childcare costs were the keys to reducing child poverty, the charity added. |