UK Child Poverty Strategy rather misses the point

Almost two weeks later than expected, the Government today published the UK's first ever child poverty strategy. Emerging from the landmark legislation brought forward in the Child Poverty Act, the strategy is intended to set out how we, as a nation, will achieve the target of eradicating child poverty in the UK by 2020.

Last year, the Act itself was a huge step forward for children in recognising, in legal form, their right to enjoy an adequate standard of living in the UK. The UK child poverty strategy offered a real opportunity to make this legislation a reality for some of our most vulnerable children. And while it purports to do this, the strategy somehow misses the point. The Government's intention of adopting a holistic approach to dealing with child poverty is commendable, but it is undermined by the Government's failure to tackle low income, shown by recent UNICEF research to be a key driver of poverty and inequality in the UK. This lack of focus risks compromising a whole range of plans and strategies from both local and central government that hope to build better lives for children.