Government is ducking its commitment to child poverty, says TUC

date: 15 November 2012

embargo: For immediate release

Responding to today's (Thursday) speech on child poverty by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, the TUC has accused the government of ignoring the facts behind the problem.

The TUC said it was misleading for Iain Duncan Smith to argue that previous attempts to curb child poverty had become 'fixated' on improving family incomes.

Mr Duncan Smith's comments come as the government prepares to drop a key child poverty indicator previously accepted by the three main political parties.

The TUC is concerned that the government is trying to duck commitments to end child poverty by 2020. Recent research published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) predicts that child poverty will rise significantly under the current administration.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'It is ludicrous to say that child poverty isn't about how much money families have. Children who grow up in low-income households are far more likely to have to go without.

'Instead of moving the goalposts in a bid to excuse its own failings, the government should be concentrating on addressing the causes behind child poverty, like high unemployment and soaring living costs.'

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