600,000 more children thrown into poverty as Tories cut Universal Credit

04 June 2023 , 23:01

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Seven in 10 children living in poverty are from working households (Image: PA)

An extra 600,000 children were plunged into poverty in a year as ministers got rid of extra support for families on Universal Credit, it has been found.

Research by the End Child Poverty Coalition revealed the total number of kids living in poverty soared to 4.2million in 2021-22.

Some 71% of these were living in households where at least one adult works.

Many of the families lost out as ministers withdrew the £20-a-week boost to Universal Credit that was put in place during the pandemic.

In the North East, the proportion of children in poverty increased from 26% to 35% in the seven years since 2015.

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At the same time, it rose from 30% to 38% in the West Midlands and 25% to 33% in the East Midlands.

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth at the weekend signalled that Labour would end the two-child limit (Paul David Drabble)

Joseph Howes, chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition, said: “The pandemic and cost of living crisis have meant more and more children are having to go without food and a warm home.

“These statistics show that the trends in child poverty are particularly worrying in parts of the UK such as the North East and Midlands.”

He added: “There is one policy change that we know would make a direct and immediate difference, and that is to scrap the two-child limit for those claiming Universal Credit.

“The policy is unfair in the indiscriminate impact it has on children, and there is no evidence it has achieved its aims.

“Abolishing the two-child limit would immediately lift 250,000 children out of poverty, and the government could make this change now.”

Labour’s welfare chief at the weekend hinted the party will scrap the "vicious" Tory two-child limit.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "We are very, very aware that this is one of the single most heinous elements of the system pushing children and families into poverty."

Separate research today by the Resolution Foundation shows that the number of young people not working due to ill health rose from 94,000 in 2012 to 185,000 in 2022.

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