[UK] Hutton: Child poverty a priority

from The Guardian

Tackling child poverty was the number one priority for the Government's biggest department, a minister will say.

Work and Pensions Secretary Secretary of State John Hutton will say in a keynote speech to the Fabian Society that he wanted to "renew and refresh" the Government's approach to the issue.

"Although we have made the biggest improvement of any EU country on child poverty and 800,000 lifted out of poverty since 1997, we have to do a lot more and redirect our efforts if we are to meet future targets," he will say.

"The annual Opportunity for All report in the autumn will set out how we speed up progress.

"At the heart of the work must be policies that make a sustained difference, not simply raising income levels through benefit increases.

"Getting people off benefit and into work can only be only part of the answer. We must do more to build on our success of making work pay for people once they are in a job."

Mr Hutton will say that half of the children living in poverty in Britain lived in households where an adult was in work.

These were largely couple families who do not work enough hours or earn enough to escape poverty.

"Helping the in-work poor means we need to find ways encouraging second earners into work, exploring additional incentives to make work pay and do more to do improve skills and progression in the labour market.

"Our vision is of an opportunity society - powerful new drive against barriers that hold people back, with work at its core."