One in three children in Milton Keynes are living in poverty

More than one in three children in Milton Keynes are living in poverty, shocking new research has revealed.
Child povertyChild poverty
Child poverty

The study, carried out by Loughborough University, shows 31 per cent of youngsters living in MK local authority area are trapped in poverty after their families have paid their housing costs.

This is higher than anywhere else in Buckinghamshire, says the End Child Poverty coalition.

They are calling for the government to set out an “ambitious and credible” child poverty-reduction strategy.

Child povertyChild poverty
Child poverty

This should include restoring the link between benefits and inflation, reforming Universal Credit and ending the two-child limit on child allowances and tax credits.

Anna Feuchtwang, chair of the End Child Poverty coalition, said: “The Government’s own data shows that child poverty in the UK has been rising steadily in recent years. This just isn’t right.”

She added: “Growing up in poverty means growing up trapped. It restricts a child’s chances of doing well at school, of living a healthy and happy life, and of finding well-paid work as adults.

“We urgently need the government to set a course of action that will free our children from the grip of poverty.

“We know what causes child poverty and we know how to end it. We know that the income of less well-off families has been hit by severe real-terms cuts in benefits and by higher housing costs. And we know that work alone does not guarantee a route out of poverty, with two thirds of child poverty occurring in working families."