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Responding to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement today, Anna Turley, Chair of North East Child Poverty Commission said:
“The Chancellor confirmed today that we are now in recession, and it’s clear that the months ahead are going to get even tougher for many families and children here in the North East. The extension to cost of living support and confirmation that benefits like Universal Credit will rise in line with inflation – as normally happens every year – will come as some relief, as families on the lowest incomes simply cannot sustain yet more real terms cuts to their budgets.“
Support needed urgently
“But this increase should be made now, not next April. For some time, charities we work with across the North East have been reporting unsustainable levels of demand just to help families with the basics, more and more parents and carers falling into debt, and children missing out on essentials. Additional support is therefore required urgently, not in over four months’ time.”
Economic inactivity – no mention of childcare
“The Chancellor also spoke about the need to tackle rising levels of economic inactivity, which is a significant challenge for our region. Yet he failed to make a single mention of childcare, the costs and availability of which are one of the single biggest barriers to employment or increasing hours at work. Rather than seeking to punish parents and carers on a low income, the government has to understand that it’s simply not possible to improve living standards and opportunities for children and families without fundamentally addressing this issue.”
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