Barnardo's asks for Brown pledge

25 May 2007

Barnardo's is appealing to Gordon Brown to ensure that targets for ending child poverty are met when he becomes Prime Minister.

In a report called It Doesn't Happen Here the children's charity warns that without an investment of £3.8bn the Government will not meet its target of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

Although parliament has pledged to at least halve poverty among children by 2010, Barnardo's claims that with current levels of investment, the Government is likely to fall short of the target by 900,000 children.

Barnardo's believes that, based on current investment policies, there will actually be more children in the most vulnerable groups living in poverty in three years' time.

With £3.8bn, the children's charity says that by 2010 there would be 320,000 fewer impoverished children in lone parent families and 240,000 fewer children living in poverty who also have a disabled parent.

The investment would lift 90,000 more children in families where one parent is unemployed out of poverty and 50,000 fewer Pakistani and Bangladeshi children would be living below the breadline.

Martin Narey, Chief Executive of Barnardo's, said: "Barnardo's witnesses every day the impact on children and families of living in grinding poverty, children missing out on what most would consider essentials.

"The pledge to halve child poverty by 2010, which Barnardo's welcomed as the Government's ''boldest, most exciting and potentially most far-reaching social goal,'' can still be achieved by investing £3.8bn in child tax credits before 2010.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for Gordon Brown, to create a real legacy - to be known as the Prime Minister who halved child poverty and made the United Kingdom a fairer and a better place for our children."