Children’s Society report shows percentage of children in Kent in poverty

More than one in four children in Dover and Deal are on the breadline and seven out of 10 of these are in working families.

The shocking figure of 27.6% is the second worst out of all Kent’s constituencies and above the county average of 22.7%. The worst part of Kent is South Thanet.

The details, from a report from the Children’s Society, shows that 5,580 out of the total 20,241 children in the Dover and Deal Parliamentary constituency are in poverty. The document, addressed to Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke, adds that 3,862 of these poor children live in a home where at least one adult is in work.

The Autumn 2016 report, says: “We are concerned that for too many families a move into work is not a move out of poverty. Nationally more than seven million children live in families facing a four-year freeze to their benefits and the cumulative changes to support will mean many families will lose out overall.

“This is despite positive changes such as the introduction of a national living wage.”

The charity recommends that the government reverses its decision to introduce a four year benefit freeze.

It adds that the introduction of the new Universal Credit (UC) benefits system will have a profound impact on millions of children and families across the country.

In Dover an estimated 10,610 children will live in families getting UC.

The Children’s Society says that the new system has potential but the government has to ensure it supports families most in need.

The Children’s Society also estimates that about 4,930 children in Dover live in families in unmanageable debt.

The report said: “Our research has found that about a third of families in problem debt say that they have cut back on food within the last month, with a similar proportion saying they cut back on heating and also on clothes for their children in order to keep up repayments.”

The charity recommends that the government should work with creditors and the free debt advice service to develop a breathing space scheme. This would ensure that struggling families have interest and collections postponed to get them back on their feet.

Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke said: “Every child should have the same opportunities in life, no matter where they come from.

"That’s why ending child poverty is so important.

“As the report states, the Universal Credit benefits system being introduced by the government has real potential to transform lives for the better."