There are 1.3m children living in "severe poverty" in the UK, accordingto research by Save the Children.
For a couple with a child this means surviving on 7,000 a year -or 134 a week - compared to the average national income of 19,000 a year, the report said. The worst affected area is London, wheremore than one in six children are in severe poverty, as opposed to onein 10 nationally.
Although Government reforms have led to a considerable decline in childpoverty in recent years, the report cites research that indicates severechild poverty has remained static or even worsened. The authors arguedifferent approaches may be needed to tackle severe child poverty - anarea relatively untouched by researchers.
"We can't let these children slip below the radar," says JasmineWhitbread, chief executive of Save the Children. "They're the childrenwho are hardest to reach, who need the most help and the greatestinvestment to lift them out of poverty."
The report uses a new measure of child poverty, which combines "materialdeprivation" (basic necessities a family is unable to afford) and"severe income poverty" (what is needed for minimum acceptable livingstandards).
Children are classified as being in "severe poverty" if they live inhouseholds with severe income poverty (below 50 per cent of the averageincome) and serious material deprivation (lacking two or more essentialitems, for example contents insurance, heating or a proper diet).
The report - entitled Severe Child Poverty in the UK - urges theGovernment to spend a further 4bn to ensure the target of halvingchild poverty by 2010 is met, provide seasonal grants to help those onlow incomes at difficult times of the year, and invest significantresources to promote understanding and take-up of benefit and tax creditentitlements.
Save the Children also calls for the introduction of a measure - likethe report uses - of severe child poverty and a targeted campaign toeradicate it.
FACT BOX
- An income of 7,000 a year means a family has only 19 aday to cover essentials such as bills, food, clothes, washing, transportand phones
- Eighty-four per cent of families in severe poverty cannot make regularsavings of 10 or more a month; 74 per cent are unable to replaceworn-out furniture
- Download the report from www.savethechildren.org.uk.
