The Government's declared aim is to eradicate child poverty by 2020. Our determination to do so is as firm as ever and this is demonstrated by introducing the Child Poverty Bill. The Child Poverty Bill will bring new impetus to eradicating child poverty by 2020. It will provide a definition of success and sets a framework to guarantee that Government and their partners at national and local levels make a clear and vital contribution towards ending child poverty.
Between 1998-09 and 2007-08 some 500,000 children were lifted out of relative poverty. Measures announced in and since Budget 2007 are expected to lift around a further 550,000 children out of poverty. Absolute poverty has been halved.
Each year different households are surveyed to produce low income statistics and estimates of poverty that are published in the Households Below Average Income series. Information is therefore available about the net change in the number of children with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income.
However, estimates of poverty, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of people in poverty at Government office region level. Therefore, information for Salford is not available, though figures relating to north-west Government office region are. These are given in the table.
Three-year averages are used to report regional statistics as single-year estimates are subject to volatility. Figures are quoted rounded to the nearest 100,000 children. Child poverty is presented before housing costs in line with the child poverty public service agreements.
Change between 1997-98-1999-2000 and 2005-06-2007-08 in the number of children in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median for the north-west, before housing costs (million)Number of children (million)ChangeBefore housing costs1997-98-1999-2000 to 2005-06-2007-080.1 Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income data. The Households Below Average Income series is available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures is single financial years. Three sample years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or ‘equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. The figures are based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development equivalisation factors. 6. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000.
A local child poverty indicator—including constituency level information—has been developed that captures the number and proportion of children in families in receipt of out of work benefits, or in receipt of tax credits where their reported income is less than 60 per cent. of median income. Details can be found via the HMRC website:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/child_poverty.htm
The measure enables local partners to make an assessment of the level and geographical distribution of income deprivation in their area and focuses local partners on taking action to help raise family incomes.
Estimates of poverty, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of people in poverty at Government office region level. Therefore, information for the postcode areas L20, L21 and L22 are not available.