New figures show a fifth of children in Milton Keynes are living in poverty

A fifth of children in Milton Keynes are living in poverty, new figures show.

Save the Children UK called the latest figures ‘grim’ and said they prove families are ‘still very much in the depths of a crisis’ as inflation increases.

Department for Work and Pensions’ figures show 11,730 children in Milton Keynes were living in relative poverty – when families can meet the basics but little else - in the year ending April 2022.

This meant nearly a fifth of children in the area were in a family whose income was below 60 per cent of average household income, and claimed child benefit and at least one other household benefit. And, of these children, 8,535 were in absolute poverty - when even the basics cannot be met.

Overall, it has risen by 0.3 per cent compared with 2020 to 2021, and up by nearly five per cent compared to 2014 to 2015 when records began.

Becca Lyon, head of child poverty at Save the Children, said kids growing up in poverty often grow up too fast as they are exposed to concerns about money and paying bills.

Ms Lyon added: "This can leave lasting scars. Families need a proper benefits system that protects them from hardship, and means children can grow up without having to know what the inside of a food bank looks like.”

Across the UK, 2.47 million children were in relative poverty and 1.89 million children were in absolute poverty.

Within England, Leicester had the highest proportion of children aged under 16 in relative low income families – nearly 42 per cent - and City of London had the highest proportion in absolute low income families – nearly 40 per cent.

The charity, Action for Children, accused ministers of knowing what works, given the action taken during the pandemic, but ‘choosing not to do it’, and said help has been ‘snatched away’ from families.

Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at Action for Children, said: “It’s astonishing that, despite the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and the prospect of rising child poverty for years to come, the Government is not targeting help for children in low-income families.

“There is so much more this Government can do in these tough times to stop those with the least from suffering the most.”

A Government spokesperson said it is ‘committed to eradicating poverty and supporting those in need, and our actions have helped ensure there are nearly two million fewer people in absolute poverty than there were in 2009 and 2010’.

They said the latest figures ‘reflect the country coming out of the pandemic and accompanying rising prices’ and that record levels of support have been provided through cost-of-living payments, the Household Support Fund and the Energy Price Guarantee which ‘will continue to hold down people’s energy bills’.