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Economic policy will push another 600,000 children into poverty

Pupil wellbeing
Government economic policy and cuts to public services, including education, will push 600,000 more children into poverty by 2015, with lone parents among those hardest hit. Pete Henshaw reports.

The coalition government’s economic policies will result in 600,000 more children living in poverty in 2015, a study by the Children’s Commissioner for England has found.

The analysis of the cumulative effects of cuts in public spending and changes to the tax and benefits systems between 2010 and 2015 finds that the poorest children are being worst hit.

Furthermore, families with children have lost, on average, £41.07 a week since 2010, or 5.9 per cent of their income, as a result of government policies. Within this, lone parent families are being hit particularly hard, losing £32.67 a week – 7.8 per cent of their income.

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