Budget gives poor children less than a pint of milk

Commenting on the Budget Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Kate Green, said:

“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.

“We have seen banks and businesses bailed out, but almost nothing for families who are having their own financial crisis meetings round the kitchen table instead of the board room. The Budget urgently needed to give targeted help to struggling families who will spend straight away and give an immediate boost to the economy. Low income communities have also been denied the extra spending power that would have helped their local businesses stay afloat.

“The Government is now unlikely to meet its target to halve child poverty by 2010. Without investing the £3billion in family incomes that the Campaign to End Child Poverty called for, millions of children across the UK will continue to face the unfair costs of social disadvantage, exclusion and poor health.

“The investment in Jobcentre Plus was absolutely necessary. The Government must now let job centre staff focus these resources on jobseekers and young unemployed people by suspending the extra time demands and bureaucracy of the welfare reform programme.”

Notes for editors

• The £20 increase in the annual amount of the per-child element of child tax credit amounts to 38.4p per week for each child.
• A pint of fresh semi-skimmed milk costs 45p in Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
• Analysis commissioned by CPAG showed that investment in the incomes of the poorest families would have an economic impact of £1.60 for every pound spent.
• 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 child poverty and the Government’s targets, visit: http://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 130 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