ePolitix.com stakeholders comment on the Child Poverty Bill ahead of its second reading in the House of Commons.
The government has announced its intention to enshrine into law its pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
The Queen's Speech announced the government's aim to end child poverty within a generation, by tackling the causes and the consequences of poverty.
Labour claimed that the fact that some children living in this country still lacked basic living standards was "unacceptable".
They stated that ending child poverty was the responsibility of all, and one of the biggest challenges facing the country.
Labour has already taken some steps to reverse poverty levels, with 600,000 children lifted out of relative income poverty since 1998-99.
But the Child Poverty Bill intends to create a "new impetus" to deliver the government's commitment.
The legislation is intended to work across all government departments to find a long term solution to child poverty.
Stakeholder Response: National Union of Teachers
The NUT warmly welcomes the Child Poverty Bill and the intention to enshrine in law the commitment to eradicate child poverty in the UK by 2020.
The NUT looks forward to working with government and organisations working with children to break the link between poverty and educational outcomes.
The Bill would establish a Child Poverty Commission. This Commission is tasked with giving advice to government (Scottish, Northern Irish and UK) on tackling poverty, with authorities required to have regard to advice in drawing up strategies to tackle child poverty. The NUT will be concerned to ensure that the Commission is autonomous and able to commission its own research. It will also be important that, as End Child Poverty recommend, the Commission membership includes those with direct experience of poverty.
Clause 15 requires the Child Poverty Commission and the Westminster and devolved governments to take into account the impact of measures to tackle child poverty on the economy, and on the impact of measures on taxation, spending and borrowing. The NUT is concerned that this part of the Bill could be used as an excuse for governmental inaction on ending child poverty.
Stakeholder Response: Personal Finance Education Group (pfeg)
Through well planned financial education, children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, for example, can gain insight into the relationship between qualifications and earnings in different jobs or careers; explore their own priorities, needs and wants and develop their knowledge and understanding of personal budgeting and a range of available financial products and services. For this reason, pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group) has steadily promoted and supported the development of personal finance education in schools over the past ten years.
Full response
Stakeholder Response: Wise Group
The Wise Group welcomes the publication of the Child Poverty Bill and government efforts to reduce the extent and depth of child poverty in the UK.
The Wise Group calls on the government to follow its enactment of legislation with policies to address the root causes of poverty and deliver tangible assistance to those living in poverty whose capacity is greatly restricted by structural barriers, inequalities and a lack of resources.
The Wise Group further believes that employment, whilst not a panacea for all of the problems associated with poverty, has a fundamental role in tackling poverty. Paid work can, if of a suitable quality, reduce poverty, not just through the obvious effect of remuneration, but through the positive impact that work can have on health, self esteem and social capital.
