Child Poverty

Arfan Rauf

In the UK today, 1 in 3 children are living in poverty (equivalent to 4 million children). Figures have risen from 1979, 1 in 10, living in poverty to 1 in 3 living in poverty in 1998. Child poverty levels have fallen as of 2005/06 to 3.8 million by 600,000. According to statistics, it is estimated that child poverty costs the UK £25 billion per annum. The Labour government’s target in 1998/99 was to reduce child poverty by half by 2010 then eradicate it altogether by 2020.

   This essay will examine the view that the Labour Government have failed to do enough to reduce child poverty in the UK.

   Since the Labour Government came into power in 1997 and Tony Blair made the pledge to halve child poverty figures (by 2010) in 1999, figures have fallen. Child poverty levels fell by 600,000 since 1998/99 from 4.4 million to 3.8 million (2005/06). Absolute poverty levels have also halved from 3.4 million to 1.6 million. Overall, Child poverty numbers have dropped since the party came into power.

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   However, the Labour government still remains 500,000 short of the target it should have reached by 2004/05. There was also an increase of 200,000 children living in poverty in 2005/06. This casts the Labour governments targets into doubt. Not only did they fail to meet their target (a further decrease of 500,000 by 2004/05), there was also a rise in child poverty. The UK.

In conclusion, despite the Labour governments target and the drop in Child poverty levels since they came into power, recently those figures have increased and the government has failed in its target to reduce ...

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