York MPs speak out over child poverty figures

According to statistics released by the End Child Poverty Coalition in the City of York Council authority area their are 7,443 children classed as living in poverty.

Research carried out by Loughborough University on behalf of the coalition,
shows that many parents are skipping meals in order to feed their children, including those who may be working. Increasingly, families are also unable to afford school uniforms.

Rachel Walters, End Child Poverty Coalition Coordinator said: “Child poverty
isn’t inevitable, the government can make changes to ensure that families are able
to afford the basics for their children. We need urgent decisive action to ensure that next year we aren’t reporting exactly the same figures. All children in York, and across the UK, deserve to live free of poverty and to have the same chances as their peers.”

It comes after last week City of York Council declared a 'cost of living emergency' in the city. 

Their decision came as representatives from the York Foodbank charity and Citizens Advice York spoke in support of a motion at a full council meeting, outlining the real extent of the cost of living crisis in York and the need for long term solutions to the crisis. 

The council will now distribute £200,000 worth of fuel and food vouchers to support the most vulnerable in the city. In order to look at what else organisations in the city can do to support residents, a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit will be convened and further lobbying will take place urging the Government to address the crisis nationally.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell has criticised the Government

Looking at the breakdown by parliamentary constituency, in York Central there are 4,188 and in York Outer 2,374 children living in poverty.

York Central's Labour MP Rachael Maskell MP said: "I know families in York are struggling with the rising costs of food, fuel, energy and childcare, and for many, these challenges can be exacerbated as children break up from school for the summer. The findings from the End Child Poverty coalition are extremely concerning - 25 per cent of children in York Central were considered to be in poverty in 2020/21. There is no excuse for this. 

"This is a direct result of decisions taken by this cruel Government, who have made cuts to vital areas of support. We need urgent action to protect our children, which includes the removal of the two-child limit, the reinstatement of the £20 Universal Credit uplift, and the expansion of free school meals to all children in families receiving Universal Credit both in and out of term time.

"We urgently need a Government which invests in our young people."

Julian Sturdy York Outer Conservative MP said: "With a range of factors driving costs internationally, the Government has stepped up to help families deal with the immediate impact on home budgets while working with global partners to stabilise prices.

"From last week eight-million families on mean-tested benefits will receive targeted support in addition to the Band A-D Council Tax rebate as well as the £400 energy support grant - which I successfully lobbied the Treasury to make non-refundable.

"For the longterm our focus to help those in need is to continue to grow a high wage high growth economy and build up our domestic energy security through viable renewable options."

But Luke Charters, Labour’s recently selected Parliamentary Candidate for
York Outer, hit out at Mr Sturdy's approach.

He said: “It is absurd that thousands of children in York are now living in
poverty, a consequence of severe Tory cuts, stagnant wages and spiralling bills.

“Mr Sturdy refuses to call out his own government on the cost of living crisis, which is set to push even more children into poverty.

“I recently met a young working mum in New Earswick who was in several months of arrears for her bills, and for the first time has started to use a foodbank.

“It’s therefore jarring that the Tories are spending a summer talking amongst
themselves about Boris’ successor, whilst York families continue to struggle.
“Free school meals should be extended to more children, and we have got to make childcare more affordable.”

The End Child Poverty Coalition says that the reason the reason constituency and local authority figures are slightly different is because they are modelled using slightly different data sets, and there can sometimes be a small variation in the final numbers. Both are best estimates given the data available.

They say that, if the government truly wants to ‘level
up’ the country and begin to tackle child poverty, MPs must continue to find
ways of making social security more adequate in the long term so that every
family can afford the essentials.

Specifically, the government must ensure:
1) Universal Credit payments deductions are reduced and the benefit cap
abolished.
2) There is improved access to free or affordable childcare.
3) Free School Meals in England and Wales are extended to all children in
families receiving Universal Credit.