CYP Now - Analysis: Child poverty - Debate rages over child tax credits

Although the Government's child tax credits were welcomed as a strategy to reduce child poverty, the clawback of overpayments and means testing has divided organisations keen to see families become better off. Asha Goveas reports.

While the aims of the Government's strategy to abolish child povertyhave been uniformly welcomed, its means have been widely criticised.

Controversy has long surrounded reports from charities that manyfamilies have been left impoverished after the Inland Revenue clawedback tax credit overpayments. But the most stinging criticism came lastweek, when right-wing think tank Civitas claimed that children would bebetter served if the child tax credit system was scrapped altogether(Children Now 21-27 September).

A project with a noble aim

The Government had high hopes for boosting the income of poor familieswhen it launched child tax credits and and new working tax credits as avehicle for channelling an extra 2.7bn to "tackle poverty andmake work pay" in April 2003.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included