Families with children have been disproportionately affected by tax and benefit changes since 2010, according to a new General Election report by Tom Waters and Tom Wernham. The report highlights that benefit cuts have led to significant losses for poorer households, while tax changes have impacted the highest earners but benefited average earners. Research indicates that local child poverty rates in the UK strongly correlate with the percentage of families affected by the two-child benefit cap, suggesting that this policy is a key factor in child deprivation. Child poverty costs the economy £39 billion annually, and scrapping the two-child benefits limit would require £1.3 billion. A poll by the National Education Union shows that over three-quarters of parents support extending free school meals to all primary school children. Addressing absolute child poverty must be a priority of the next government.
Child poverty costs the economy £39bn every year. Scrapping the two-child benefits limit would need just £1.3bn. In a new @NEUnion poll more than three quarters of parents support extending free school meals to all primary school children https://t.co/0vjXGwgQXU https://t.co/McLc6HNOqL
Local child poverty rates across the UK correlate very strongly with the percentage of families affected by the two-child benefit cap, research has found, indicating that the controversial policy is a key factor behind children growing up in deprivation https://t.co/4D4JB96YP2
Children, particularly but not exclusively those in the lowest income households, have been hit hardest over the last 14 years. That's why absolute child poverty is rising. It has to be a priority of the next government to change that. https://t.co/LwYV6TKANN
Tax changes have hit highest earners hard, but helped average earners. Benefit cuts have led to big losses for poorer households. Big story of last 14 years is how much changes have hit families with children. https://t.co/wb0vAKJKlE
NEW: Families with children have been hit the hardest by tax and benefit changes since 2010. Read @TomWatersEcon and Tom Wernham’s #GeneralElection report on the distributional impact of tax and benefit reforms since 2010, funded by @finan_fairness: https://t.co/Rug2rL0Lpk https://t.co/0Drr6BhHLZ