Letter from Mark Langabeer, Hastings and Rye Labour member
ITV’s Tonight programme reported on the growing number of children living in poverty . According to the programme, four million children are growing up in poor conditions and it is the highest in twenty years. That means that in an average classroom of thirty children, nine are growing up in poverty.
A mother of five children describe in the programme the difficulties of paying for even the bare necessities on the amount received in Universal credit. Food costs on average have risen by a quarter in the last two years. Many have resorted to food banks and other charities so that their families do not go hungry.
An incredible 146,000 children are living in temporary accommodation, the highest figure on record. A spokesperson from the Child Poverty Action Group noted that poverty is depressingly similar to that of sixty years ago. Charities have argued that Univeral Credit should at least cover bare essentials like food, toiletries and fuel.
Tonight interviewed one retired headteacher who suggested that early intervention was the key in preventing child poverty. The Sure Start scheme set up by the previous Labour was doing just that until it became a victim of Tory cut backs. Free school meals could ensure that children have at least one hot meal a day, but in England, eligibility for free meals only applies to those who earn less than £7,400 annually..
One of the main drivers of poverty is the limitation of Univeral Credit to only two children. The Tories introduced this policy in 2017 and claim that it saves £2.5 billion annually. Yet the two-child limit now affects around two million; scrapping it would lift around 600,000 out of poverty.
Another injustice is that currently, families forced onto prepayment meters for electricity pay more than those who pay by direct debit, so it is another rule that penalses the poorest sections of society. Ending the two child limit, free school meals and reducing the cost of fuel would be a start in reducing poverty in Britain.
What is scandalous is that Keir Starmer’s six pledges don’t include anything on child poverty. Even Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister and Chancellor – and no left-winger by any stretch – is calling on Labour to do away with the two-child limit, bring back Sure Start, raise the national minimum wage and make some serious attempts to tackle poverty.
The TV programme referred to the rise in child poverty as “Britain’s Shame”. It would be better described as Tory shame. When Labour is elected, there will be expectations from many quarters that the new government will introduce policies that reduce child poverty in the UK.
Top picture from website of the Trussell Trust. The Tonight programme is still available to view on ITVX here.
