Families already living under the poverty line have been pushed deeper into into destitution
The poorest families have fallen even deeper into poverty over the past eight years.
A new study shows that families already living under the poverty line have been pushed deeper into into destitution since 2012.
Analysis from the Child Poverty Action Group has found that the number of children in poverty in households where all parents work full time has doubled across the UK, from 200,000 in 2012/13 to 400,000 in 2017/18.
The study of Department for Work and Pensions data shows the average poverty gap - ie how far below the poverty line poor families are living – jumped by 30% between 2012/13 and 2017/18.
That means that after housing costs are taken into account, poor families are now on average £73 per week (28%) below the poverty line, up from £56 in 2012/13.
John Dickie, director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said: “Not only is child poverty rising across the UK but poor families are also deeper in poverty than they were just seven years ago. That should sound alarm bells for the new UK government’s committed to levelling up because it means families in poverty are further away from escaping it.
“Many of these families are living well below the poverty line. Their children are going without the basics of a good childhood with all the lost opportunities that brings for them and for our wider economy.
“The new UK government has committed to reducing child poverty. It must now bring forward clear policies for achieving this, starting with a restoration in the value of the key benefits families in and out of work rely on. Here in Scotland these figures show how important the new Scottish Child Payment will be, and how crucial it is to ensure take up of this vital lifeline is maximised”
