This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/08/rising-child-poverty-uk-poorer

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Rising child poverty in the UK makes us all poorer Rising child poverty in the UK makes us all poorer
(5 months later)
The Child Poverty Act of 2010 holds the government accountable for reducing child poverty. On Wednesday, new figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that not only are they failing to do so, the numbers of children living in poverty will actually rise, from 2.4 million to 3.4 million by 2020 – the date that was set for the elimination of child poverty in the UK.The Child Poverty Act of 2010 holds the government accountable for reducing child poverty. On Wednesday, new figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that not only are they failing to do so, the numbers of children living in poverty will actually rise, from 2.4 million to 3.4 million by 2020 – the date that was set for the elimination of child poverty in the UK.
The last government missed its target on child poverty reduction, but we should not forget what it did achieve. Child poverty rose steeply under Thatcher, and by the time Labour came to power 3.4 million children were poor. Labour got that down to 2.8 million during its 13 years in power; now all the hard-won progress is unravelling.The last government missed its target on child poverty reduction, but we should not forget what it did achieve. Child poverty rose steeply under Thatcher, and by the time Labour came to power 3.4 million children were poor. Labour got that down to 2.8 million during its 13 years in power; now all the hard-won progress is unravelling.
Child poverty (in the UK that means living on less than 60% of the average income) is not an inevitable aspect of modern societies, or technological change, or even a temporary effect of the global recession.Child poverty (in the UK that means living on less than 60% of the average income) is not an inevitable aspect of modern societies, or technological change, or even a temporary effect of the global recession.
Child poverty is a persistent problem in the UK, and we do much worse than many other rich, developed nations, including some that have a much lower level of GDP. The latest report on child wellbeing in advanced economies from Unicef shows that the UK ranks joint 16th (with Hungary) on child poverty, and several countries, including Ireland, France, Slovenia, Iceland and the Czech Republic, achieve lower levels of child poverty than we do in the UK on substantially lower per capita income. Indeed, in Hungary, the average income is half that of the UK.Child poverty is a persistent problem in the UK, and we do much worse than many other rich, developed nations, including some that have a much lower level of GDP. The latest report on child wellbeing in advanced economies from Unicef shows that the UK ranks joint 16th (with Hungary) on child poverty, and several countries, including Ireland, France, Slovenia, Iceland and the Czech Republic, achieve lower levels of child poverty than we do in the UK on substantially lower per capita income. Indeed, in Hungary, the average income is half that of the UK.
So persistent and high levels of child poverty are not about economic growth – they are about how that growth is shared out and the choices we make in terms of goals and policies. It is not enough to have reports and initiatives that talk about "improving life chances", or to waste time consulting on "a new approach" that misguidedly mixes up the causes and consequences of poverty, when millions of children's lives are being blighted and child poverty is set to rise.So persistent and high levels of child poverty are not about economic growth – they are about how that growth is shared out and the choices we make in terms of goals and policies. It is not enough to have reports and initiatives that talk about "improving life chances", or to waste time consulting on "a new approach" that misguidedly mixes up the causes and consequences of poverty, when millions of children's lives are being blighted and child poverty is set to rise.
Poverty has a profound impact on children, on their families, and on the rest of society. What happens in early childhood affects physical, cognitive and social development and sets children on a lifelong trajectory encompassing educational attainment, economic participation and physical and mental health.Poverty has a profound impact on children, on their families, and on the rest of society. What happens in early childhood affects physical, cognitive and social development and sets children on a lifelong trajectory encompassing educational attainment, economic participation and physical and mental health.
Poor children do worse at every educational stage. They have a smaller vocabulary by the age of three. Only 31% are performing at the expected level when they enter school, compared to 53% of children who are not poor. By the time they get to university age, only 13% of poor children will go on to higher education, compared to 32% of their non-poor peers. And children living in poverty will suffer worse health throughout their lifetimes: between 2002 and 2006, life expectancy at birth for boys in the lowest social class was almost six years shorter than those in the top group, and for girls the difference was four years. Anybody with the slightest imagination can also glimpse the painful psychological reality of growing up poor.Poor children do worse at every educational stage. They have a smaller vocabulary by the age of three. Only 31% are performing at the expected level when they enter school, compared to 53% of children who are not poor. By the time they get to university age, only 13% of poor children will go on to higher education, compared to 32% of their non-poor peers. And children living in poverty will suffer worse health throughout their lifetimes: between 2002 and 2006, life expectancy at birth for boys in the lowest social class was almost six years shorter than those in the top group, and for girls the difference was four years. Anybody with the slightest imagination can also glimpse the painful psychological reality of growing up poor.
If ministers believe that child poverty is simply a problem of "broken families", they are wrong. Other countries with high levels of single parenthood don't have our high levels of child poverty, and their children have higher levels of wellbeing in all domains. If they think that children are only poor because their parents are feckless and workshy, they're also wrong – the majority of poor children live in working households.If ministers believe that child poverty is simply a problem of "broken families", they are wrong. Other countries with high levels of single parenthood don't have our high levels of child poverty, and their children have higher levels of wellbeing in all domains. If they think that children are only poor because their parents are feckless and workshy, they're also wrong – the majority of poor children live in working households.
If you think child poverty doesn't affect you, you couldn't be more wrong. As taxpayers, we spend heavily on social support and housing benefit for poor families, subsidising the true cost of low-paid work and lining the pockets of private landlords. We spend yet more on addressing the problems caused by child poverty, in education and health services, youth justice and beyond. Social mobility is stagnant in the UK, much lower than in countries such as Canada and Germany.If you think child poverty doesn't affect you, you couldn't be more wrong. As taxpayers, we spend heavily on social support and housing benefit for poor families, subsidising the true cost of low-paid work and lining the pockets of private landlords. We spend yet more on addressing the problems caused by child poverty, in education and health services, youth justice and beyond. Social mobility is stagnant in the UK, much lower than in countries such as Canada and Germany.
Children in poverty start the race of life in shackles and dragging a heavy load, which most won't escape. We are all the poorer for it.Children in poverty start the race of life in shackles and dragging a heavy load, which most won't escape. We are all the poorer for it.
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.