Children missing from this Budget

Children were noticeable by their absence in the Budget today, despite the clock counting down to the publication of the UK's first child poverty strategy. The measures announced failed to create the investment needed to eradicate child poverty in the UK, and neither the Chancellor nor the Leader of the Opposition spent time reflecting upon how the Budget would impact on children's lives.

Where children did make an appearance, this was largely to demonstrate the contribution they could make to supporting economic growth, as well as reiterating already-announced initiatives to support poorer families. While new apprenticeships, the pupil premium and the investment in early years will no doubt be welcome to many children and families, raising the income tax threshold to benefit poorer families while retaining VAT at 20% seems to give with one hand while continuing to take away with the other. The Chancellor's commitment to helping families with the high cost of living is laudable but, without the investment to accompany it, it remains merely an aspiration.

The forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility estimate that the measures from last year's Emergency Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review combined with those announced today could reduce child poverty by up to 50,000 children over the next two years. However, the Treasury has been quick to point out that this figure is uncertain due to the unpredictability and complexity of estimating growth and inflation.  

A Budget focused on growth and business while sidelining social justice leaves the futures of our most vulnerable children to the vagaries of the UK's economic health. This will not deliver the protection and support our children both need and deserve.

Where is the substantial investment needed to avoid the rise in child poverty by 2013/14 predicted by the Institute for Fiscal Studies? With less than nine years to go to fulfil the cross-party commitment to ending child poverty by 2020, it is well past time to bring children's best interests to the fore of our financial decision-making. We cannot wait for the child poverty and social mobility strategies or for next year's Budget - the reality is that we need action...and money...to tackle child poverty now.