City MP Stephen Morgan has said the government’s new Child Poverty Taskforce will urgently tackle one of the biggest injustices impacting Portsmouth and the country.
With a broken housing market, millions waiting for medical treatment and families continuing to struggle with the cost of living, the Taskforce set out the huge scale of the challenge in their inaugural meeting last week, examining why there are 700,000 more children living in poverty compared to 2010.
The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside the government’s commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, create 3,000 additional nurseries, as well as deliver its plan to make work pay to turn the minimum wage into a real living wage.
The last Labour government took over half a million children out of poverty – and lifted millions of children out of absolute poverty overall.
The Taskforce will put the direct testimony of children, families and organisations at the heart of their work and publish a new Child Poverty Strategy next Spring.
It will harness all available levers to drive forward short-term and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty, by:
- Supporting households to increase their income including considering social security reforms that support people into work and alleviate poverty
- Helping to bring down essential household costs, build savings and tackle problem debt
- Alleviating the negative experience of living in poverty, including through supporting families and the role of public services.
It comes as the latest data shows that over four million children are now growing up in a low-income family. This not only harms children’s lives now, but it also limits their future prospects and it holds back our economic potential as a country.
Tackling child poverty across the United Kingdom is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child.
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Under the Conservatives, the number of children in poverty rose by 700,000 – with over four million children, including many in Portsmouth now growing up in a low-income family.
“That is why tackling the root causes of child poverty is central to the new government’s plan for change.
“Alongside the government’s commitments on free breakfast clubs, 3000 additional nurseries and plan to make work pay, I’m pleased to see the Child Poverty Taskforce’s urgent work to tackle the huge injustice that is child poverty in our city.”
Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall MP said:
“Child poverty is a scar on our society. It harms children’s life chances and our country as a whole. That is why tackling child poverty is a top priority for this government.
“We will take action in every department, with a comprehensive strategy to drive down poverty and drive up opportunity, building a better future for us all.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson MP said:
“Child poverty is a scar on our country, which holds back children’s lives and life chances at home, in school and across our communities.
“The scale of the challenge cannot be overstated. That is why this taskforce, working across government, is essential to ensure all departments are supporting this ambition and delivering on our mission of breaking down the barriers to opportunity for every child.
“We will work with stakeholders, families and crucially children themselves so that our approach is guided by those impacted most
The Taskforce will be supported by a new Child Poverty Unit in the Cabinet Office, drawing together experts from within and outside government, to help co-ordinate the development of the strategy.
