Thousands of Kent children live in poverty, figures reveal
An increasing number of
children are living in poverty. Posed by model
More than a quarter of children in parts of Kent are living in
poverty, shocking new figures released today reveal.
As many as 28% of children in Thanet come from a struggling
family - one of the highest levels in the south east.
The Campaign to End Child Poverty says more than 8,000 young
people living around Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs are living
below the breadline.
Statistics show one in five children across large parts of Kent
- or more than 77,000 - now officially lives in poverty.
The figures also show a huge disparity in different parts of the
county - with children in some areas twice as likely to be living
in poverty than others elsewhere.
Report authors say the numbers, collated last year, leave
children facing "gross levels of inequality" and are on the
increase.
Among the areas in Kent with at least one in five children in
poverty include Swale (25%) followed by Shepway and Medway (23%),
Gravesham and Dover (22% and Canterbury (20%).
Others that fared better include Dartford (19%), Ashford (18%),
Maidstone (17%), Tonbridge and Malling (15%) and Sevenoaks and
Tunbridge Wells (14%).
Enver Solomon, chairman of the End Child Poverty campaign, said:
"Far too many children whose parents are struggling to making a
living are having to go hungry and miss out on the essentials of a
decent childhood that all young people should be entitled to.
"The huge disparities that exist across the country have become
more entrenched and are now an enduring reality as many more
children are set to become trapped in long term poverty and
disadvantage.
"Local authorities are having to deal with reduced budgets, but
they have critical decisions to make. We’re calling on authorities
to prioritise low income families in the decisions they make about
local welfare spending, including spending on the new council tax
benefit, and on protecting families hit by the bedroom tax."
In the report, children are classified as being in poverty if
they live in families claiming out-of-work benefits or in-work tax
credits where their income is less than 60% of the average.
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20/02/13
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