More than 250,000 children make up the million living in ‘absolute poverty’ in the UK – which a Tameside MP has branded ‘simply unacceptable’.
Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show that between 2010 and 2012, 300,000 children, 100,000 pensioners and 600,000 working age people in the UK were pushed into absolute poverty.
Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, claimed these figures are indicative of Britain’s inequality, and said it was unacceptable that families were being pushed into poverty in the 21st century.
“Families in Tameside and Stockport will be outraged by the awful effects of this Government’s economic policies,” he said.
“The Government’s own figures show in black and white exactly what their policies are doing to people here in Tameside and Stockport.”
“When families are under so much pressure it is outrageous that they will be almost £900 worse off this year thanks to tax and benefit changes yet millionaires are getting a tax cut.”
Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Liam Byrne described the figures as ‘devastating’, and said that more jobs must be created to improve living standards.
“All of Labour’s good work in tackling poverty is being washed away by a Tory cocktail of incompetence and indifference,” he said.
“The government should not have cut tax credits for people in work while cutting taxes for the richest people in society. And they should be helping the long term unemployed back to work with Labour’s compulsory jobs guarantee.”
Picture courtesy of Stephen Downes, with thanks.
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