Child poverty is one of the greatest challenges facing the UK today.
It affects every area of a child’s development – social, educational and personal – and places families and communities under incredible strain.
It’s also bad for the economy. It is estimated that every year £29 billion is lost in costs to the Exchequer and reduced GDP. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) the consequences of child poverty include reduced productivity, lower educational attainment and poor health.
Data released by the Department for Work and Pensions earlier this month showed that the rate of child poverty in families with a single parent working full-time rose to 22% last year. The rate of child poverty for single parent families (42%) is nearly twice as great as for families with both parents (23%).
The difficulty of getting out of this cycle of disadvantage cannot be overstressed. We have a million young people not in education, employment or training. At the same time, it is anticipated that this generation that will have to work harder and longer to pay off our national debt.
Increasing numbers of young families are being exposed to the cycle of disadvantage. New analysis from the Institute of Financial Studies (IFS) shows pay, employment and incomes have fallen furthest for young adults in the wake of the recession.
A family with two adults and two children needs to have £349 each week in order to be above the poverty line. Could you survive on this amount? Many families won’t be able to, and as the cost of living increases, over 3.5m children are expected to be in extreme poverty by 2020.
It doesn’t have to be this way. By actively supporting LandAid, you can make a bigger difference.
The charities we partner with work in some of the most deprived parts of the country, providing carefully tailored care and support for children and young people in their area. With over 100 supporters drawn from the property and construction sectors, business has shown its commitment to the cause.
But there is still much more we can be doing to protect vulnerable children.
Join our campaign today, and help us make a real and lasting impact on disadvantaged young lives.