The majority of children living in poverty are in working households.
That's according to a study released today by IFS, which shows 63% of kids living in deprivation have at least one parent in work. The SNP have criticised the UK Government over the figures, which they say will be exaserbated by Toty cuts to working benefits like tax cuts. Areas of Fife including Glenrothes have among the highest levels of child poverty in the country. In Fife, 1 in 5 kids live in deprivation.
SNP MSP Joan McAlpine said: "This is damning new evidence from the IFS of the appalling impact David Cameron and George Osborne’s relentless attack on the working poor is having – and it is clear that it is vulnerable children who are paying the price.
"The Tory government should be utterly ashamed that the number of children from working families living in poverty has grown under their watch – but as we saw with last week’s Budget, they are intent on intensifying their punitive cuts agenda as their slavish devotion to right-wing ideology trumps any commitment to supporting those in need. Working families who are struggling to make ends meet need and deserve a real boost to their pay packets – not a con trick on the minimum wage from a Tory chancellor while he callously cuts tax credits and other social protection leaving people worse off."
The new analysis also finds that despite the UK Government’s decision to increase the minimum wage, there will be ‘upward pressure’ on absolute poverty for working households due to the cuts to tax credits and other social security spending.
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