Amy Gibbs, Director of Advocacy at Unicef UK, said: “This visit from the UN Special Rapporteur, looking at how cuts to social assistance have impacted children and families, is timely. Evidence shows that 30% of children in the UK were living in poverty in 2016 and 2017 – and forecasts indicate this will only increase without immediate intervention. However, the definition and measurement of child poverty have narrowed significantly and there is no longer a government target for eradication.
“The Special Rapporteur made a number of very serious points that we should all be concerned about. High levels of child poverty jeopardise every child’s right to a happy, healthy and fulfilled future. It is vital that the UK Government recommits to ending child poverty as a national priority and sets out a new, ambitious strategy to achieve this goal. The reporting process under the Sustainable Development Agenda in July 2019 is a crucial opportunity for this.”
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact:
Unicef UK Media Team, 0207 375 6030, [email protected]
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