Support for struggling families needed now to make Child Poverty Bill credible

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. She said:

“This important bill could give hope to Britain's most disadvantaged children that the promise made by all the party leaders to end child poverty by 2020 will be kept. But this hope will disappear quickly if the bill is not accompanied by substantial action towards the target to halve child poverty.

“We would like to see the bill tightened for a stronger definition of the eradication of child poverty and to ensure genuine independence and clout for the new Child Poverty Commission.

“For the bill to have real credibility we need investment in British families in the Pre-Budget Report to give them the help they need in the recession and so we don’t fall further behind the child poverty targets."

Notes for editors

• Child Poverty Action Group’s briefing on the bill can be found at: www.cpag.org.uk/info/briefings_policy/CPAG_briefing_ChildPovBill2reading_0609.pdf
• 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