ONE MILLION MORE CHILDREN IN POVERTY ACROSS THE UK SINCE 2010
Patricia Gibson MP has condemned the UK Tory Government’s record of failure, after a report estimated that one million more children have been pushed into poverty since 2010.
Research shows that Tory benefit cuts will leave 3.1 million children with working parents below the official breadline this year.
This is revealed on the same day a Channel 4 investigation found that seven out of ten frontline Department for Work and Pensions staff want the roll-out of Universal Credit to be halted.
A Resolution Foundation report, State of Working Scotland, concluded over two years ago that Universal Credit could reduce work incentives and cuts to in-work support would “have a considerable impact” on incomes.
Mrs Gibson said:
“Revelations that this Tory Government is responsible for leaving 3.1 million children with working parents in poverty this year expose how profoundly flawed their welfare policies are.
“The Tories were warned time and again that dismantling the welfare state would drive millions of children into poverty. Working parents are being forced to turn to food banks to feed their children, while the Tories continue, ostrich like, to claim the system is working in the face of all the evidence.
“With only limited powers over welfare in Scotland, we are building a social security agency with dignity and respect at its heart, and the SNP Government is spending more than £100m a year mitigating welfare cuts.
"If the UK Tory Government persists with such damaging, callous policies we will be tackling poverty with one hand tied behind our backs.”
A million more UK children in poverty than in 2010 – study
Most DWP Frontline Staff 'Say Universal Credit Should Be Scrapped'
The Austerity Generation: The Impact of a decade of cuts on family incomes and child poverty - CPAG:
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The Resolution Foundation report:
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