Mike Hancock supports campaign to introduce seasonal grants to help poorest families

13/12/06

Mike Hancock, MP (Lib Dem – Portsmouth South) has expressed his support for Save the Children’s demand for seasonal grants for low-income parents struggling to afford basic items such as heating, clothes and proper food this Christmas. This follows news that the UK has one of highest levels of child poverty in Europe with 1 million children living in severe poverty.

A new survey published by the Save the Children on Universal Children’s Day (Monday 20th November) revealed that 85% of low-income parents find basic items such as bills, clothes and proper food the most expensive items related to bringing up a child.

Mike Hancock said: “It’s pitiful that in this day and age parents in the UK are still struggling to afford the basic necessities like hot healthy food and warm clothes for their children. Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the EU we have some of the highest rates of child poverty. I support Save the Children’s call for Seasonal Grants which could lift 440,000 children out of poverty and would represent a lifeline to families struggling to support themselves this Christmas.”

Mike Hancock, MP supports Save the Children in their call for:

• The introduction of Seasonal Grants to support families at the points of the year when they are facing acute financial pressures. These grants along could lift 440,000 children out of poverty.

• The Government to introduce these Seasonal Grants as part of their wider investment into child poverty at the next Budget and the Comprehensive Spending Review

• All political parties to sign up to the target to eradicate child poverty by 2020 and to agree on a level of poverty below which no child should fall.

• The public to support its campaign to end child poverty by signing up at: www.savethechildren.org.uk/endchildpoverty.

Tony Blair set a target to eradicate child poverty in the UK by 2020, but the Government is currently off track having already missed their first target in March 2006. 3.4 million children live below the poverty line in the UK today.

Save the Children calculates that there are up to 1 million children living in severe poverty in the UK – below 40% median income. That means a lone parent with 2 children living on £124 a week.

The UK has one of the worst child poverty rates in Europe, ranked 21st (joint with Greece and Poland) out of 27 countries behind France, Germany, Spain and mainly others.