Margaret Greenwood MP [Image: Liverpool Echo].

Shadow Employment Minister, Margaret Greenwood MP, called on the Government to take urgent action to tackle child poverty after figures released by the End Child Poverty campaign revealed that in some parts of the UK nearly half of children are living in poverty.

“3.9 million children in the UK are living in poverty and that includes 18,000 children in Wirral. Children in the UK are now twice as likely to be poor as our pensioners,” said Ms Greenwood.

“In every part of the country, there are children who are growing up in poverty and having to do without.

“That means going without all sorts of things, including food. Some will be wearing shoes that don’t fit, clothes that aren’t warm enough and going to bed hungry. This is wholly unacceptable, and the government needs to take urgent action.

“Millions of families are struggling to meet basic household bills as a result of low pay, insecure work and the lack of affordable housing. On top of that, food prices are expected to rise in the coming year.

“Cuts to Universal Credit are going to hit the poorest families hard. A single parent family would have to work an extra 2 months each year to make up the money they will lose as a result of these cuts. Clearly that is impossible.

“Where a family has to move to cheaper accommodation, children may also have to move schools, causing disruption to their friendship groups and their education.

“Family tensions caused by money worries are easily transmitted to children, even though that would be the last thing that parents would want.

“The Prime Minister said on coming to power that her Government would be on the side of families just struggling to get by.

“I am calling on the Government to live up to its rhetoric by reversing the cuts to Universal Credit in the Autumn Statement.”

You can find more information on the Child Poverty campaign at www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/

Local figures on child poverty can be found here.

The Trussell Trust reported that food bank use has increased again this year. Food parcels were given to 519,000 people in the six months to the end of September which included 188,000 children.

Source: Margaret Greenwood MP calls on Government to take action to tackle child poverty: new figures show 18,000 children in Wirral growing up in poverty

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