Six steps to tackle child poverty – a programme for the 2015 government
The 2015-2020 government will confront a child poverty crisis. Families with children have been hardest hit by austerity. When it assesses its priorities the new government will face a stark choice: ignore rising poverty and shut out a generation of children from the chances they deserve to thrive. Or face up to the challenge of child poverty and the action needed to end it.
Our programme for government proposes six steps the 2015 government can take to tackle child poverty:
The first 100 days:
Commit to making ending child poverty a national priority
The first year:
Develop, fund and implement a long-term plan to end child poverty
Back working parents by helping them bring home a decent income & strengthening universal credit
Reduce the demand for foodbanks by ending costly delays and poor decision-making in the benefits system
Over the parliament:
Protect families from rising living costs by restoring the value of children’s benefits and protecting them with a triple lock, and poverty-proofing the school day
Develop and fund an ambitious childcare strategy
