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Latest NewsJuly 2009 New materials added to the Toolkit website to help with benefit take-up The Quids for Kids section of the website has been updated to provide: An A-Z Guide to Benefits (available to view on-line or to be downloaded in WORD), and the following leaflets for running targeted campaigns (all available as WORD downloads)
March 2009 CPAG Manifesto calls for an end to child poverty The Child Poverty Action Group has published a manifesto calling for an end to child poverty. The manifesto, ‘Ending child poverty: a manifesto for success’, marks the tenth anniversary of Tony Blair’s promise to wipe out child poverty within a generation. The document sets out ten steps to reduce inequality and put children first. The steps are: protect jobs; mend the safety net; move away from means tests; remove barriers to work; stop in-work poverty; put in place a child-first strategy for childcare; end the classroom divide; provide fair public services for those who need them most; end poverty premiums in taxes and services; and ensure a decent home for every family. The manifesto also details ‘10 reasons to be angry about child poverty’, and it reviews the policy steps taken over the past decade to tackle the issue: http://www.cpag.org.uk/publications/extracts/CPAG_manifesto_0309.pdf
The DWP has conducted research into couple households where only one parent is working, to understand the attitudes and behaviour of the non-working partner. One of the factors that influenced a couple’s decision to have one parent out of work was a lack of suitable childcare. Most people interviewed said that they were able to keep up with their bills by carefully managing the household income, but admitted that staying on top financially could be a struggle. Almost all participants intended to return to work at some point, with the majority of women interested in finding a part-time job with minimal travel. Many of these women were expecting to find low-paid jobs when they returned to work. The research showed that non-working partners were interested in government support services to help them get back to work: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/mar/050309.asp
Jobcentre Plus to offer more services to unemployed parents through Children’s Centres Jobcentre Plus has strengthened its presence in Children’s Centres, to give unemployed parents more access to work-focused services while simultaneously providing childcare. The extra support offered through Children’s Centres includes skills training to build parents’ basic work skills, confidence and employability; and the chance to do volunteering, vocational training and work experience. Jobcentre Plus has increased its role in 30 Children’s Centres across England as part of a three-year, £7.8m pilot which started in October 2008: http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Partners/in_touch/Dev_016210.xml.html Three authorities recognised as beacons for preventing and tackling child poverty Three authorities have been lauded as beacons for preventing and tackling child poverty through the national Beacon Scheme, which rewards excellence in local government and public services. Cornwall County Council, the London borough of Tower Hamlets, and Newcastle upon Tyne City Council were all recognised for their exceptional work towards eradicating child poverty. The ceremony celebrated 43 beacon awards which covered 56 local authorities: http://www.beacons.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=5096164
Welfare Reform Bill could plunge single parents into poverty, warns Gingerbread Gingerbread has expressed concerns that the proposals of the Welfare Reform Bill, which went into its third reading and report stage on Tuesday, could tighten the poverty-trap effect on single-parent families. Plans to give benefit advisers the power to cut benefits once a child passes the age of three could strike struggling families hard, says the organisation. Gingerbread fears that the new system will not take into account the real-world barriers that lone parents face when trying to provide for their children, and that these barriers could prevent parents from meeting the Jobseeker’s Allowance requirements to prepare for work, thus resulting in benefit sanctions. According to data gathered through interviews, 83% of lone parents reported that it was harder to stay afloat financially this year than it was last. Furthermore, 79% reported that they had turned down their heating in order to reduce their costs. Gingerbread is calling for an increase in the earnings disregard for lone parents claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, so that they can take home more money: http://www.oneparentfamilies.org.uk/1/lx3x1olx85x1oix10175x1/0/0/190309/0/0//Welfare-Reform-Bill-risks-penalising-.htm London launches child poverty network On 25 March London councils and the Government Office for London launched the country’s first Child Poverty Network to help local authorities work more closely with their partners to tackle child poverty across the city. The network hopes to aid local authorities and their partners in sharing best practice, discussing local issues and support London wide initiatives to tackle child poverty. It has an online resource for members and will meet quarterly to discuss and share what works in their local area: http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/media/current/pressdetail.htm?pk=683
End Child Poverty publishes statement of principles for forthcoming legislation The End Child Poverty coalition has published a statement of principles it believes should underpin the forthcoming child poverty legislation, which is being submitted for consideration this week to the consultation on the legislation, ‘Ending child poverty: making it happen’. The statement of principles has already been viewed by the Chancellor, as the minister responsible for the forthcoming legislation, and has been signed by 80 members of the coalition to End Child Poverty, as well as by the 10,000 people who attended the Keep the Promise rally last year. According to the document of principles, which will form the basis of the coalition’s lobbying on the Child Poverty Bill, the legislation should, among other things, place a duty on the government to publish annual progress reports, and specify interim dates by which steps or key milestones towards the 2020 goal should be achieved: http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/files/c1109_ending_child_poverty.doc Not all children in poverty are getting free school meals Children living in poverty are entitled to receive free school meals. However, data collected by the Guardian, comparing the percentage of children in each local authority area in workless households with those receiving free schools meals, suggests that poor children are not getting the meals to which they are entitled. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/mar/01/poverty-schoolmeals October 2008 "10,000 people turn out to Trafalgar square to 'Keep the promise' on ending child poverty" http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/news/news/ten-thousand-people-join-historic-rally-to-end-child-poverty/23/132 CPAG press release on scottish evaluation of free school meals: www.cpag.org.uk/press/021008.htm Action to boost take up of housing and council tax benefits in
CPAG briefing on poverty data http://www.cpag.org.uk/info/briefings_policy/CPAG_poverty_the_stats_1008 June 2008 Government releases the latest child poverty figures. Read more about this by accessing the links below: National Statistics First Release - Latest HBAI figures http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai2007/first_release_0607.pdf
London launches the country’s first child poverty network |
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