Vale of Glamorgan Liberal Democrats

Wales will bear the brunt of the recession for a whole generation – Kirsty

As the Welsh economy is ravaged by the economic downturn, the repercussions of the recession will end up in many more children living in poverty in Wales, blighting a generation, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have claimed.

The number of people claiming job seekers allowance has risen from 38,615 in December 2007 to 60,370 in 2008 meaning that more and more households will be signing-on, leading to an increase in the number of children living in poverty.

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and spokesperson for Children and Young People, said:

"The economic downturn seems to be in full swing and many parts of Wales are feeling its devastating effects. As thousands of people are losing their jobs, I am extremely concerned that the Labour-Plaid government will be even further away from reaching their target of halving child poverty in Wales by 2010.

"The Labour-Government intends to halve and eradicate child poverty by reducing income poverty through better job opportunities; however when companies are laying off staff because government funding such as ProAct schemes are slow in coming, those job opportunities will be lost, putting more households on the poverty line.

"It is bad enough that during the good economic times of the past decade, 30% of children in Wales were living in poverty. I fear that as the recession bites down harder, many more children will be living in poverty.

"Whilst the Assembly government can help reduce the effect of child poverty through housing, education and health policies, the key focus of the government should be to create better and sustainable job opportunities so that parents are drawn away from job seekers allowance and back into full time work.

"This is more than just a missed target for the government; it's a missed opportunity for the thousands of children in Wales. Unless the government acts, and acts now, many thousands of children will start life on the wrong foot. Child poverty is social injustice at its worst."

NOTES:

In 1999 the Prime Minister pledged to eradicate child poverty in the UK within a generation.

Claimant count:

December 2007 -38,615

December 2008 - 60,370

Children living in households with less than 60% median UK income, before and after housing costs (a)

Turning up the Volume on Child Poverty identifies five key poverty tests which parties are urged to benchmark their policies against.

(http://www.4children.org.uk/information/show/ref/1223)

Test 1: Immediate investment in increasing tax credits and benefits as a route to meeting the 2010 targetTo end child poverty, a Government must invest £3 billion in tax credits and benefits which will be urgently needed to reach the interim 2010 target and have a significant impact on the incomes of the poorest. £1bn per year will be needed from then on if child poverty is to be eradicated by 2020.

Test 2: Support parents into decent and sustainable jobsSupporting parents into work is the surest route from poverty in the long term for most families. Many families are trapped in a 'revolving door' cycle between low pay and worklessness. Measures to help parents off welfare and into work must therefore be tailored to overcome barriers to work and take account of parenting pressures. There should be in work mentoring for those once they are in work to help reduce the numbers who leave the jobs market.

Test 3: Offer an early years childcare and wider positive activity guarantee to all children 0-19 yearsBuilding on the free entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds, the Government should offer an early years childcare guarantee for every parent to ensure that there is flexible and affordable childcare for all parents who need it. A guarantee of activities and support for children throughout childhood should also be made.

Test 4: Schools as drivers to narrow the gap in achievement

Raising the achievement levels of children in poverty requires a cultural change as well as a financial one. Schools need to be confident that they can demonstrate the impact they have in reducing the gap between the achievement of disadvantaged children and those who are not at a disadvantage. Personalised assessment, mentoring and learning support both in and outside the classroom are key to raise aspirations and achievement and ensure that children meet their potential.Test 5: Build a system of seamless support for parents and familiesEstablishing a system of universal, responsive support for families is critical if parents are to be able to help their children to flourish. Building the family's own capacity for self reliance is also vital which is why support to improve skills such as financial planning and capability will be a key element of the support needed.