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

Welcoming the appointment of Yvette Cooper as secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Kate Green, said:

“Yvette Cooper arrives as the number of families struggling without work is rocketing. Protecting family security with the extra support families need right now must be her top priority.

“The welfare reform plans she inherited were designed by a banker for a growing economy, not a recession. Despite the ‘carrot, carrot, stick’ promise from ministers, we have a welfare reform bill that is all sticks and no carrots. There is no entitlement to the high quality support people need to get into decent jobs, just a complex bureaucracy for giving people orders and punishments.

“Welfare reform must be about getting more people into decent jobs and adequate benefits so we can end child poverty for all families, whether they have work or not. The welfare reform bill before parliament fails on both tests, but Yvette Cooper still has time to make the changes needed.”

Notes for editors

• Child Poverty Action Group’s manifesto, published in March 2009, can be found at: www.cpag.org.uk/manifesto
• For up-to-date background facts and stats on UK poverty, visit: www.cpag.org.uk/povertyfacts/
• CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.
• CPAG is one of over 150 member organisations of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, campaigning for public and political commitment to ensure the goals of halving child poverty by 2010 and ending child poverty by 2020 are met.

For further information please contact:
Tim Nichols
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
tnichols@cpag.org.uk