Press releases

22.06.10
CPAG comments on today’s Emergency Budget.

20.06.10
CPAG has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling on him to ensure fairness for low income families.

17.06.10
Cuts made in haste are failing the fairness test.

08.06.10
Free school meals: Government reveals £600 ‘tax’ bombshell for poor families in work

27.05.10
CPAG has highlighted the top priorities for welfare reform ahead of a speech by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Government’s welfare reform agenda.

25.05.10
CPAG responds to the Government’s legislative programme announced in the Queen’s Speech today.

29.04.10
CPAG and the Equality Trust have said that the major test for all three leaders is how firmly they will commit to fairness in cutting the deficit.

09.04.10
"Tax fraud and error at £1,200 a second dwarfs benefit fraud" CPAG comments on Conservative party proposals for a three-strikes rule.

24.03.10
"The Budget documents published today reveal that the Government is likely to miss its 2010 target of halving child poverty by at least 600,000 children." CPAG comments on the Chancellor’s Budget Statement.

02.03.10
Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, highlights that Pupil Premiums are not the best way to tackle the vast gap in educational attainment between rich and poor students.

08.02.10
CPAG responds to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report, Decision making and appeals in the benefits system.

27.01.10
The report of the National Equality Panel released today underlines once more the importance of tackling child poverty in opening opportunity for all.

18.01.10
Responding to today’s green paper from the Centre for Social Justice focusing on family. CPAG urged all political parties to focus on protecting incomes for those who need them the most and continue providing high quality public services to all.

17.01.10
CPAG have welcomed a change in policy effective from today, meaning families paid too much tax credit because a couple has separated or because a new partner has joined the household, will no longer have money taken away if they report the change in the household late.

11.01.10
Children’s charities have warned David Cameron that tackling poverty must remain central to any strategy to improve children’s life chances, following a speech today to think tank DEMOS at which Cameron outlined tax reforms that incentivise marriage.

10.12.09
CPAG and Toynbee Hall have released the third edition of the Personal Finance Handbook with sponsorship from the Financial Services Authority.

09.12.09
Commenting on today’s Pre Budget Report CPAG welcomed the Government’s announcements on free school meals and making work pay but said more must be done to meet the 2010 child poverty target.

08.12.09
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has written to the Chancellor Alistair Darling urging him to use tomorrows Pre Budget Report (PBR) to target support on struggling families. 

03.12.09
A report released by the New Policy Institute and Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows that the number of children in low income households where at least one adult works is now 2.1 million – the highest number there has ever been. 

20.11.09
Twentieth anniversary of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child reminds us all of our responsibilities to children.

18.11.09
Child poverty charities have welcomed the carrying over of the Child Poverty Bill in today’s Queen’s speech.

10.11.09
CPAG welcomed David Cameron’s condemnation of poverty as “morally unacceptable” but said that his solutions did not go far enough to address the real causes.

04.11.09
Carers and children’s charities are delighted by yesterday’s statement by Lord McKenzie that the Government have accepted an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill which will exempt lone parents with children under the age of 16 on lower levels of Disabled Living Allowance (DLA) from having to engage in work- related or job-seeking activities.

30.10.09
The Child Poverty Action Group has appointed Imran Hussain as their new Head of Policy, Rights and Advocacy and Derek Richards as Head of Business Programmes.

29.10.09
A report by the Policy Exchange think tank calling for the scrapping of the government’s child poverty targets has been condemned across the anti-poverty sector.

22.10.09
CPAG welcomes today’s proposal by the Conservative Party to restore the option for tenants to have housing benefits paid directly to landlords.

14.10.09
In a case brought by CPAG the Court of Appeal has ruled today that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions cannot recover overpayments of social security benefits through the courts where the claimant is not at fault.

06.10.09
CPAG comments on George Osborne’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference.

05.10.09
CPAG responds to Conservative Party proposals to cut incapacity benefits.

16.09.09
Iain Duncan Smith’s Dynamic Benefits report on reforming welfare contains good ideas but fails to address key barriers to work, say child poverty campaigners.

11.09.09
Responding to the Taxpayers’ Alliance and Institute of Directors report How to save £50 billion, CPAG says: "These policies are precisely the wrong answer to a downturn caused by unregulated casino capitalism. These policies would damage children and families long after the recession is likely to have ended in the UK."

26.08.09
CPAG comments on the new figures from the Office for National Statistics showing an increase over 12 months of 170,000 children in households without work.

19.07.09
As MPs prepare to debate the Child Poverty Bill on Monday 20th July, the Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Kate Green, has welcomed the Bill, but called for the urgent investment in families that will allow it to succeed.

12.06.09
CPAG comments on the publication of the Child Poverty Bill

08.06.09
Peter Townsend: 6 April 1928 – 8 June 2009

05.06.09
Yvette Cooper’s arrival at DWP is an opportunity to improve welfare support and work outcomes

07.05.09
“The Government’s failure to make progress on child poverty for half a decade is deplorable." CPAG commenting on the new annual figures for the number of children in poverty in the UK, covering the year 2007/08.

22.04.09
CPAG comments on the Budget Statement: "The money targeted on the children struggling most during the recession amounts to less each week than the cost of a pint of milk. It is disgraceful to give such a pittance."

21.04.09
CPAG has published a briefing drawn from a new league table of child wellbeing in European countries, in which the UK comes in 24th place out of 29 countries.

19.04.09
CPAG has published a media pre-briefing for Budget 2009 which includes a new analysis of the economic stimulus impact of investment in low income households and reaching the target to halve child poverty by 2010.

01.04.09
On the 10th anniversary of the National Minimum Wage CPAG supports the TUC’s campaign to celebrate, protect and extend it.

24.03.09
Parliamentary report shows need for urgent action to improve tax credits

18.03.09
“On this historic anniversary of the greatest political promise in a generation, we are asking the Government to use next month’s Budget to keep their promise to poor children and boost the economy. It will take leadership in this difficult time, but it is the right thing to do.”

CPAG Chief Executive, Kate Green, speaking on the 10th anniversary of the Government’s pledge to eradicate child poverty.

18.03.09
On the 10th anniversary of the Government’s pledge to eradicate child poverty in a generation, CPAG publishes their new manifesto, Ending Child Poverty: a manifesto for success.

17.03.09
“With ten people chasing every jobcentre vacancy, this is a terrible time to be introducing a more punitive regime for families without work." CPAG comments on the Report Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill.

27.02.09
In a case brought by CPAG in the High Court, a judge has ruled today that it is lawful for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to recover overpayments of social security benefits through the courts where the claimant is not at fault. CPAG will be pursuing an appeal.

25.02.09
"We are the fifth richest country in the world, so the question to ask is not where the money will come from to stop UK poverty, but where all the money is going to." CPAG comments on the report ‘Poverty, Inequality and Policy since 1997’ published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

18.02.09
"Investing in low income families is one of the most effective forms of fiscal stimulus. It can be done quickly through tax credits and benefits, and it supports immediate spending in the grass roots of the economy." CPAG comments on new research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the impact of the recession on child poverty.

12.02.09
CPAG comments on the children’s health strategy document published today, ‘Healthy lives, brighter future: the strategy for children and young people’s health’ and on the piloting of free school meals.

03.02.09
The report from the Department for Children, Schools and Families on ‘the cost of Schooling 2007’, shows school costs take far too big a bite out of the incomes of families who cannot afford it. This excludes the poorest children from many activities and leaves families struggling to pay for school uniforms, school trips, and school meals.

29.01.09
CPAG comments on the publication today of the Government’s child poverty consultation ahead of publishing a Child Poverty Bill.

28.01.09
CPAG comments on the publication of the Treasury Committee’s report on the Pre-Budget Report, which is critical of the Government’s failure to invest in meeting the 2010 target to halve child poverty.

21.01.09
‘Unemployed families need fiscal stimulus support in Budget’ CPAG comments on the latest unemployment figures showing a rise in the number of jobless people to nearly 2 million.

14.01.09
‘New minimum wage of £1.73 a disgrace’ CPAG comments on the publication today of the Welfare Reform Bill.

10.12.08
‘Welfare reforms seriously flawed.’ CPAG comments on the release today of Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: reforming welfare for the future.

03.12.08
Welfare reform has steered away from a right to support into decent work. CPAG comments on the government’s new legislative programme announced in the Queen’s Speech.

02.12.08
Commenting on the publication of Realising Potential: A Vision for Personalised Conditionality and Support, CPAG said: “We are concerned by the recommendations and believe new sanctions that will cut benefit entitlement could worsen child poverty.

24.11.08
Poor children deserve fairer share from the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report

23.11.08
CPAG has warned that the programme of changes starting tomorrow to force lone parents onto Jobseekers Allowance instead of Income Support could worsen child poverty and takes no account of the looming recession.

21.11.08
CPAG has called on the Government to put family security at the heart of the PBR package of measures to stimulate the economy.

12.11.08
Worst unemployment in over a decade demands welfare reform rethink. CPAG comments on today’s unemployment figures

27.10.08
CPAG comments on the introduction of employment and support allowance.

23.10.08
CPAG comments on the publication of research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, showing that child poverty costs the UK at least £25 billion each year.

21.10.08
CPAG comments on the OECD report Growing Unequal? Income Distribution and Poverty in OECD Countries. “It is shocking to see how much worse Britain is for inequality and social mobility than other wealthy countries. The good news is, thanks to a government focus on ending child poverty, things have started getting better.

20.10.08
Flexible working delay another death knell for welfare reform plans: CPAG comments on today’s announcement by the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, that the extension of the right to request flexible working could be delayed.

15.10.08
“A rescue package for poor families is now no less urgent and no less affordable than the billions spent bailing out the banks. The economic case for both is clear, but the moral case for keeping families afloat is far greater than for bankers who have been the architects of their own misfortune." CPAG comments on today’s new unemployment figures.

14.10.08
Benefits are already well below the poverty line. If benefits and the minimum wage are not uprated in line with the real costs families face this winter, the safety net has a major hole in it. The poorest families must not be excluded from the economic rescue package.

02.10.08
Universal free school meals for primary 1 to 3 pupils in Scotland. CPAG comments: "The evidence base is now overwhelming. Let’s give all children free healthy school meals now.”

02.09.08
"Help needed for those struggling with rent and bills as well as mortgages." CPAG comments on the Government’s package of support for home owners and first time buyers suffering from the credit crunch.

02.09.08
The ‘School Sums Index’ compiled by Norwich Union, has found it now costs nearly £16,000 to put a child through school from 5 to 16 years old.

28.08.08
CPAG comments the report issued today by the World Health Organisation on the health consequences of social and economic inequality.

19.08.08
CPAG comments on today’s publication of the Conservative Party report An Unfair Britain: why Labour have failed on fairness.

30.07.08
Child poverty charity deplores British Gas fuel price hike.

29.07.08
"Uniting divisions means investing in poor children, not putting more demands on their parents." CPAG responds to the Conservative party policy document Uniting Britain’s divided cities.

25.07.08
"Where free school meals for all have been tried, they are a great success. Children who sit down every day to a good quality meal together are healthier, happier, learn better and socialise better." CPAG comments on proposals made to the Labour Party by trade unions to provide all primary school children with free school meals.

21.07.08
CPAG comments on the publication of the welfare reform green paper No one written off: reforming the welfare state to reward responsibility. "The green paper gives great attention to increasing individual responsibility but ignores the responsibilities of employers to open up access to decent jobs."

18.07.08
Better support and decent jobs, not pressure and threats are the way to tackle child poverty. CPAG's response to the leaked draft of the welfare reform green paper.

15.07.08
The whole of London should be appalled that half of inner London children live below the poverty line. Londoners must unite to end child poverty. By showing our own commitment, as service providers, businesses or just individuals we can also step up pressure on the Government to show greater commitment in return.

02.07.08
Public finds income standards for poor families unacceptable. There is nothing inevitable about poverty. Other wealthy countries have far fewer children living in poverty, so we must all demand that the Government’s promise to end child poverty is kept.

28.06.08
“Moving families from workless poverty to in-work poverty is not good enough. Low pay is helping to leave two million British children below the poverty line in working households. We need to change Britain’s damaging culture of inequality through, fair pay, family friendly employers for all parents and fair taxation.”

23.06.08
"It is gross inequality that is the enemy of opportunity and social mobility. Our national ambition must be to end the damaging culture of inequality that has Britain in its grip more than almost every other wealthy country."

12.06.08
CPAG comments on the Government’s response to the Work and Pensions Committee’s report The Best Start in Life? Alleviating deprivation, improving social mobility and eradicating child poverty

10.06.08
CPAG comments on today’s child poverty figures, which show a rise for a second year running: “Every year progress must be planned, invested in and achieved. And every year we must act to end the inequality that is blighting Britain and turning us into a divided nation."

09.06.08
Commenting ahead of the announcement of the child poverty figures for 2006/07, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Kate Green said: “We don’t expect it to be good news, but we know that with more money now going to poorer families there will be better news to come."

20.05.08
Following the publication of new figures showing that tax credit overpayments have reduced by £700 million, four leading charities have called on the Government to build on this improvement to introduce the ‘next generation’ of tax credits.

28.04.08
CPAG comments on David Cameron’s speech at the Conservative Party event to launch the report Making British Poverty History.

09.04.08
Read CPAG's comments on the new Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, The impact of benefit and tax uprating on incomes and poverty.

07.04.08
CPAG welcomes the Treasury Select Committee’s report on the Budget 2008

01.04.08
The final report from Hull Council’s pilot of free school meals for primary children provides a compelling case for the benefits of free school meals not just to the poorest children in a class, but the whole school.

27.03.08
CPAG comments on the entitlement amounts for the new Employment Support Allowance, announced by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell.

17.03.08
CPAG publishes a new report, 2 skint 4 school: time to end the classroom divide. The report finds that poverty has a profound and negative impact on child development and pre-school experiences and that the the education system compounds inequality.

12.03.08
Budget 2008: £1 billion for poor children shows commitment and keeps 2010 target within reach.

05.03.08
Reseach by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Essex proves that when you look at real families rather than tables of numbers there is no financial incentive to separate.

03.03.08
CPAG comments on the Work and Pensions Select Committee report The best start in life? Alleviating deprivation, improving social mobility, and the committee’s recommendations on the Government’s welfare reform agenda.

28.02.08
Capital Gains, a report by the independent London Child Poverty Commission, points way to brighter future for London children.

27.02.08
£75bn private welfare contracts must not take away family security rights

27.02.08
Commenting on proposals in the new Drug Strategy CPAG states that children of addicts must be protected from benefit bans.

20.02.08
"Positive support, not workhouse values will end child poverty", CPAG comments on today's speech by Work and Pensions Secretary, James Purnell.“

18.02.08
“True opportunity revolution means delivering an adequate income without strings" CPAG responds to Gordon Brown’s speech to the Welsh Labour conference.

05.02.08
“Homelessness will not end worklessness. The Minister’s comments are insulting and stigmatising to people facing major barriers to employment." CPAG comments on proposals by the Housing Minister, Caroline Flint, to bar new tenants access to social housing if families without work do not sign work ‘commitment contracts’.

02.02.08
CPAG responds to government welfare reform adviser, David Freud's, inaccurate comments about the basics of the benefits system, and unfounded allegations about disabled people reliant on benefits for their family security.

29.01.08
The Annual Childcare Costs Survey, published by the Daycare Trust has shown an increase in out-of-school club childcare costs of six times inflation.

28.01.08
A new report from the Department for Work and Pensions, ‘Qualitative research exploring the pathways to work sanctions regime’ warns benefit sanctions can cause ill-health and their use should be limited.

24.01.08
CPAG welcomes James Purnell, the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. He has a great opportunity to make fresh progress on the Government’s historic promise to end child poverty.

08.01.08
CPAG comments on David Cameron’s welfare reform speech, which was trailed by announcements of ‘3-strikes and your out’ benefit sanctions, tough new sanction for lone parents, and use of private companies.

03.01.08
The IPPR report Working out of poverty: a study of the low paid and the working poor, shows that the main plank of the Government’s strategy to end child poverty is failing. Work is all too often not a route out of poverty, but a new poverty trap with low pay.

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