Children North East and North East Child Poverty Commission call for creation of child poverty ‘Tsar’

Disadvantaged babies, children and young people are likely to suffer disproportionately from the fall-out of the Covid pandemic.

This month our charity has submitted evidence to two parliamentary committees in relation to the impacts on children that staff are witnessing.

Together with North East Child Poverty Commission (NECPC) we submitted evidence to the House of Commons’ Work and Pensions Committee, which looks into the policies and spending of the Department for Work and Pensions.

We’re calling for child poverty reduction targets to be set, along with a comprehensive, cross-departmental Government strategy to achieve them and a Secretary of State, effectively a child poverty ‘Tsar’, responsible for overseeing this.

You can read here the evidence we submitted to the Work and Pensions Committee.

We have also been contributing to the House of Lords’ COVID-19 Committee which is investigating the long-term impact of the pandemic on parents and families.

Children North East Chief Executive, Leigh Elliott, said:

“Our staff see the devastating effects of poverty on family life day by day and it is vitally important we share our findings with legislators in order to effect real change.

“Amongst the issues staff are reporting are an increase in counselling referrals for domestic violence; school phobia amongst children who have been out of the classroom for a long time and anxieties around employment opportunities for young people.”

• Read the latest blog by Luke Bramhall, Children North East’s Poverty Proofing and Participation Service Manager, on the good news about the fight against child poverty.