Letters to the Editor: Action needed on child poverty
Friday, October 14, 2011
Attending the party conferences was a subdued and unreal experience - it appears the issue of child poverty has fallen off the political agenda. While the "squeezed middle" was the subject of much concern, families living on the lowest incomes rarely figured in debate.
Yet the need for additional political impetus on child poverty has never been greater. Projections from the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that after the downward drift of the past decade, 800,000 more children are expected to live in poverty by 2020 (cypnow.co.uk, 11 October). The figures suggest that on current trends, the target of eliminating child poverty by 2020, to which all the major parties are committed, will be missed.
We need an approach that builds on what has worked in previous years. That's investing in child benefit and child tax credits, providing help for parents to find and afford the childcare they need to take up jobs, and genuine help for people to find jobs on which they can raise a family.
Alison Garnham, chief executive, Child Poverty Action Group
Young people are the solution
It's a tough time to be a young person and sadly it has become even harder with youth unemployment hitting the highest rate in nearly 20 years (cypnow.co.uk, 12 October). Businesses have a responsibility to help motivate young people by giving them new opportunities to gain the skills, knowledge and experiences to be pioneers for their generation.
A quarter of our employees are under 25 and it is our vision to bring about a cultural shift in the way young people are viewed and treated. Through our Apprenticeship Academy, we offer young people jobs with qualifications and career opportunities; our Inspiring Young People programme offers young people new opportunities to change their world.
We must start seeing the young as the solution rather than the problem.
Michael Fairclough, head of community investment, The Co-operative Group
Create a level playing field
We welcome the additional childcare funding that the government has announced, which will enable many families with disabled children who work less than 16 hours per week to receive financial help towards childcare costs for the first time.
But we are disappointed that the government has not stated whether it will help these families to meet the disproportionately high costs of childcare they face. Some may still struggle to meet childcare costs under the universal credit if the government goes ahead with its planned 50 per cent cut to disability additions.
The government must help families with disabled children meet a higher percentage of their childcare costs to create a level playing field for all.
Srabani Sen, board member, Every Disabled Child Matters
