Wednesday 22 April 2009
In response to the 2009 Budget, NCB Chief
Executive, Paul Ennals, said: 'Children and young people in poverty
were not the cause of today's recession, but will be amongst the
main sufferers from its effects. The Government has missed an
opportunity to keep to their promise to halve child poverty by
2010. How they will keep their promise to end it by 2020?'
Paul continued: 'We welcome the announcement that grandparents
who look after their grandchildren and are of working age will have
their efforts recognised in their state pension. Also we recognise
it is vital to get the unemployed back into work, but as members of
the campaign to End Child Poverty we are disappointed the
government has not prioritised the urgent needs of the 3.9 million
children livening in poverty in the UK. Some families in poverty
will be helped by the support of Job Centre Plus and those under 25
and unemployed for over a year.
However putting money back into the hands of parents is the key
way to lift children out of poverty, and the shamefully small
increase in child tax credit will not be enough.
Without the £3 billion invested in family incomes that the ECP
called for in this budget, children across the UK will continue to
face the costs of social disadvantage, exclusion and poor health
and nutrition.
-Ends-
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Notes to Editors
NCB's mission is to advance the well-being of all children and
young people across every aspect of their lives. As a membership
and infrastructure support agency for the children's sector in
England and Northern Ireland, NCB provides essential information on
policy, research and best practice for our members and the members
of our wide range of partnership bodies, which operate under our
charitable status and are based in our London headquarters. For
further information visit http://www.ncb.org.uk/