The poor relations
What is child poverty?
The government definition is household income of less than 60 per cent of the median, or population midpoint, for that household type.
What does this mean?
An income of £222 per week (£11,544 per year) for a lone parent with two children aged 5 and 14 or £300 per week (£15,600 per year) for a couple with two children aged 5 and 14.
What has the Government done?
In 1999 it set a target of eradicating child poverty by 2020, having halved it by 2010 and reduced it by a quarter by 2005. Since 1996-97, child poverty has fallen by 600,000 before housing costs, which is now the preferred measure. However, the Government still missed the 2004-05 target and the latest child poverty figures, published in March, show that child poverty actually rose between 2004-05 and 2005-06
How many children are now living in poverty?
Government figures show that child poverty now stands at 2.8 million, which represents 22 per cent of all children in Britain.
Source: Child Poverty Action Group
(from The Times, 29 October 2007)
Lilly Evans
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