Labour announces plans to lift 550,000 children out of poverty – UK politics live | Politics
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Link to full government strategy
There is a lot of reaction to the plan; Some believe that the new elements are not ambitious enough and that it is merely a consolidation of previously announced measures.
However Here is the complete strategy 16 months after Keir Starmer’s government to tackle and reduce child poverty in the UK.
There are currently around 4.5 million children living in poverty in England.
Charities welcome ‘invaluable’ changes but say it’s only the first step
Poverty charities reacted positively to the plan, which was initially planned for the spring but was later postponed as the government grappled with the financial and political fallout of removing the two-child limit.
Removing this cap would cost the government £3bn but would lift 450,000 children out of poverty. Another new package of measures will help a further 80,000 people.
Katie Schmuecker, of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said the government had “put its money behind its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty” and said removing the two-child limit was “the most effective policy decision” ministers could make to tackle child poverty.
Under the cap imposed by the Conservative government in 2017, 1.7 million children were living in households affected by the restriction. one in nine children We’ve missed out on benefits worth £3,514 a year.
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, welcomed the plan, adding: “While this is a milestone, we must also remember that despite these significant changes, up to four million children are still set to live in poverty in 2029. We must work together as a society to change this.”
Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, said the changes were invaluable but “only a first step”, adding: “There is so much more to do and we must build on this momentum now to achieve more tangible change for children.”
Too many families still ‘struggling without basic needs’ – Prime Minister
In his statement announcing the full plan, Starmer said many families were still “struggling without the basic needs of a safe home, hot meals and the support they need to make ends meet”.
“I will not stand by and stand by because the cost of doing nothing is too high for children, families and Britain.
“This is, for me, a moral duty. It is about justice, opportunity and unlocking potential. Our strategy is not just about reversing the failures of the past, it sets a new course for national renewal, centering children’s life chances.”
Families to be offered help to leave temporary accommodation under UK child poverty strategy
My colleague Peter Walker has a full report on the plan; I have summarized the main new elements of this report for you below:
The strategy will include an investment of £8m as part of what Keir Starmer has described as a “moral mission” for his government. A pilot program covering 20 municipalities where homeless families in temporary bed and breakfast accommodation are particularly prevalentto make sure they are all moved in six weeks.
There will also be one New legal duty for parliaments informing schools, GPs and health visitors When a child is placed with his or her family in temporary accommodation.
In a parallel policy line, ministers will work with the NHS. Preventing mothers with newborn babies from being discharged back to hostels or other similarly unsuitable enclosures.
The rules will also be changed to make things easierHelping parents on universal credit get help paying for childcare upfront.
The new proposals in the strategy, originally planned to be unveiled in the spring, come in addition to removing the two-child limit for some benefits, which would have the biggest impact on poverty during this parliament, at a cost of £3bn.
Other new poverty-related policies include expanding free school meals in England, funding for more breakfast clubs and a project to create new Sure Start-type family centres.
Welcome: Labor announces plans to lift 550,000 children out of poverty
Happy Friday and welcome to our UK Politics blog, Frances Mao is with you this morning.
Today we finally have Labour’s long-awaited child poverty strategy; They say this will lift more than 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030.
For Starmer, this became a “moral mission” of his government; Measures include childcare supports, more free school lunches and a major pilot scheme to free the most vulnerable families from temporary accommodation.
Starmer said many people were still “struggling without the basic needs of a safe home, hot meals and the support they need to make ends meet”. He and his ministers will be across the country today to advocate for measures taken in the wake of the biggest boost for the relief policy, the removal of the two-child benefit cap, announced in the Budget last week.
On the other hand, it remains to be seen how the BBC and ITV respond to Farage’s claims that the broadcasters themselves are peddling racist nonsense. The reform leader tried to turn the spotlight on these outlets yesterday after reporters questioned him about allegations of racism and antisemitism against young people.
The Guardian has been at the forefront of reporting on the alleged racist abuse Farage suffered as a schoolboy, and since we broke the story two weeks ago, 28 of Farage’s former classmates and contemporaries have come forward in recounts. A group of Holocaust survivors is this morning demanding Farage apologize for alleged antisemitism.
