North East has highest percentage of young children growing up in poverty

A recent study has determined the North East has the highest level of child poverty country-wide.

Research from the Little Village and Joseph Rowntree Foundation has cited 47% of children in the North East from families with a child under five are in poverty.

North East Child Poverty Commission responded to the shocking research conclusions, which rank the North East 6% higher than second-place London, on 41%.

Director of the North East Child Poverty Commission Amanda Bailey said: “It is simply intolerable that almost half of the youngest children across the North East are now growing up in poverty – and that this figure continues to rise year on year.

“All the evidence tells us that experiencing poverty in the first years of childhood can have hugely damaging and long-term effects on children’s life chances – impacting brain development, physical health and mental wellbeing, educational outcomes, future employment opportunities and even life expectancy.

“There is therefore little prospect of communities and families across our region being ‘levelled up’ unless meaningful, joined-up action is taken across all levels of government to tackle poverty levels for children, and particularly the youngest children, in the North East.

“This deeply concerning picture is going to rapidly get even worse, unless we have urgent and targeted measures to support the lowest income families – both in and out of work – with the soaring cost of living.

“The Government must invest immediately in our social security system, starting by raising support like Universal Credit in line with inflation, to protect children from even greater hardship – and lifting the two-child limit policy which has only served to increase poverty rates for young families.”