More than 27 per cent of children in Ashfield are living in poverty

New research by the End Child Poverty campaign shows that just over 27 per cent of all children in Ashfield are living in poverty once their parents’ housing costs have been taken into account.

The stats published by the End Child Poverty campaign also reveal that 17 per cent of children in the constituency are living in poverty even before outgoings on housing are taking into consideration.

Shockingly, the figures place Ashfield among the top ten worst constituencies in the whole of the East Midlands when it comes to the percentage of children living poverty – ranking 10th out of 46. At a more local level, further analysis of the research reveals that in four local wards in Ashfield – Sutton-in-Ashfield East (34 per cent), Kirkby-in-Ashfield East (33 per cent), Eastwood South (31%) and Kirkby-in-Ashfield West(31 per cent) almost one in three kids now live in poverty.

In the UK nearly one in six (15.9per cent) children are classified as below the poverty line before housing costs, while one in four (25.1%) are in poverty once housing costs have been deducted from their income meaning Ashfield finds itself above the national average.

Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero MP said; “Children in Ashfield are clearly paying the price for the Lib Dem and Tory Government’s failure. This research is appalling and it should shock ministers into action because kids in our area deserve so much better. Clegg and Cameron should be ashamed but I just don’t think they have any understanding of areas like ours.

The MP added; “For instance, in our patch low pay is a big issue with almost one in ten people on the minimum wage. We can’t go on like this and that’s why I’m backing plans to take the minimum wage to £8.00. That would mean a pay rise of £1.50 an hour for our lowest paid workers and worth up to £3,000 a year in the pockets of a full-time worker – helping almost 4,000 people in our area.

“A Labour Government would also help families by introducing 25 hours free childcare for working parents with 3 and 4 year olds, freeze their energy bills until 2017 and scrap the hated Bedroom Tax. On top of that no adult would be allowed to be on the dole for more than two years or a young person without work for more than a year and a tax cut for 24 million people with anew 10p starting rate. I have called on the Government to act on all of these things but they have chosen not to and children are suffering as a result.”

Overall there are currently 2.3 million children in the UK classified as in relative poverty, meaning they live in households with an income of less than 60% of the national median. The 2020 target is to reduce the number children living in poverty to 1.2 million.