Church Action on Poverty (CAP) said it is “disappointed” with new statistics issued by the Government yesterday showing that the number of children living below the poverty line has increased for a second year running.
The increase in the number of children living in poverty from 2.8 million in 2006 to 2.9 million in 2007 comes in spite of the Government’s target to halve child poverty by 2010. The Conservatives believes that target is unlikely to be met.
Once housing costs were taken into consideration, the number of children living in poverty rose by a further 100,000.
The Government admitted it found the results of the report “disappointing”.
CAP National Coordinator Niall Cooper commented: “These disappointing figures show what a huge task the Government took on when it committed to halving child poverty.
“Much more commitment and investment are needed if we are ever to reach the target.”
CAP said that an additional £3 billion would be needed to lift 1.7 million more children out of poverty. The Government aims to eradicate child poverty completely by 2020.
CARE’s director of parliamentary affairs, Dan Boucher, said meanwhile that the Government had to make changes to the tax credits system if it is to meet its child poverty targets.
