Welfare Reforms To Push More Children Into Poverty Warns Hain

Peter Hain has warned that Government Welfare Reforms could push more Neath children into poverty after the End Child Poverty charity coalition announced that 100k children across the UK are set to fall into poverty in the next few years. The Neath MP said “We should be concentrating on getting children out of poverty but instead we are scrambling to stop more over them crossing the line.”

The charity coalition has warned that urgent steps need to be taken to protect the poorest from the changes to the Welfare system and budget cuts imposed on local authorities or thousands of children will fall into poverty.

The Campaign To End Child Poverty estimates that 3,914 children are living in poverty in Neath. In Wales, 200,000 children live in poverty which is defined as surviving on a household income of less than 60% of the average national wage.

Expressing his concern Mr Hain said, ‘The disastrous Government policies will see many hard working families in Neath forced to make the choice between heating their homes or putting food on the table. Many have already resorted to using the Neath Foodbank.

‘The reforms are squeezing family incomes and coupled with the rising cost of fuel there will be many cases where parents will struggle to pay for basics and children forced to miss out on what others take for granted.’

The worst hit areas are traditionally deprived wards in the UK’s largest cities but with 1 in 5 children already living in poverty in the UK the effects will be felt all over the country.