Child Poverty Bill should help drive progress

Commenting on the publication of the Child Poverty Bill, the Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Kate Green, said:

"The bill is a major step in the fight to end Britain’s child poverty shame. It will mean government action on child poverty is no longer optional and will drive forward progress.

“The UK has much higher levels of child poverty than most other wealthy countries and that is clearly wrong. We must stop so many of our children growing up with worse health, poor life chances and a lower life expectancy.

“We will not end child poverty until we end the culture of inequality that has blighted Britain for the last 30 years. That means more than just helping parents into work, it means fair pay, fair taxes, affordable childcare, decent homes and a minimum income for those who can’t work that doesn’t leave them in severe poverty.

“Families are suffering now and the Government has slipped behind its child poverty targets, so the legislation must be supported by an urgent investment in family incomes for the poorest households. We look to all the parties in Westminster to back the bill and the investment families need now as we forge a strong national consensus to end child poverty in our country.

“Welfare reform proposals must also be changed to ensure that they are consistent with the goal of an end to child poverty and do not push parents into subprime jobs.”

Notes for editors

• Child Poverty Action Group’s manifesto, published in March 2009, can be found at: www.cpag.org.uk/manifesto. It details the actions needed to end UK child poverty.
• 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