Government must change course if it is to end child poverty, says TUC

TUC

Commenting on polling published today (Wednesday) by the Campaign to End Child Poverty, which shows that nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of voters think the government is falling short in its efforts to end child poverty, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

‘The general public are right – ministers should be doing more to end child poverty.

However, instead of helping to improve living standards in deprived areas, the government is taking a huge axe to vital benefits and is slashing funding for local support services.

‘Unless the government pulls back from its self-defeating austerity programme child poverty will become even more entrenched in deprived parts of the country.

‘Children who grow-up in poverty are far less likely to do well at school or find long-term employment. The UK simply cannot afford for any more of its youngsters to be consigned to the scrapheap of inactivity.’