Child poverty figures are down but more needs to be done
Child poverty figures are down but more needs to be done
- Friday, 21 May 2010Research from the Department of Work and Pensions has revealed that child poverty figures were down by 100,000 in 2009, perhaps suggesting less families are struggling with
debt problems.
This drop has been attributed to the last government's policies of child tax credit and child benefit in the effort to end child poverty by 2020.
The new coalition government has stated that it will try and fulfil the same target. The Institute of Public Policy Research (ippr) has made suggestions as to how it can do so.
Carey Oppenheim, ippr co-director, said: "Creative thinking in times of national austerity could help to ensure that we continue to deliver progressive goals, which will be the real test of our new government."
Ippr recommends taxing child benefit given to better-off families which could help tackle child poverty if the savings were used to increase the money given to poorer families who are struggling with
debt problems.
Furthermore every child should get £22 a week, while taxing high-earning families would mean they will get less but poorer families will get more.
It estimates that if this policy is imposed, it could lift 350,000 children out of poverty.

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