Huge gaps in wealth revealed in poverty report

Although 11 per cent of all children in the borough are classed as living in poverty, well below the national average, the rate is as high as 25 per cent in an area of north Goole, compared to a figure of just one per cent in Howden.

The currently accepted measure of child poverty is based on “relative low income”, where a family’s income is below 60 per cent of the national average.

On this basis nationally in 2010/11, 18 per cent of children (2.3 million) fell below the poverty line.

However, the Government, which is expected to release new figures on child poverty this summer, is considering changing this to take in factors other than income.

East Riding Council’s Draft Child Poverty Strategy, which is based on a Child Poverty Needs Assessment, said: “Underlying both the full Needs Assessment and the strategy is an acknowledgement that the national term ‘child poverty’ is misleading: few children will be in poverty unless their parents or carers are also.

“Our work to reduce poverty will therefore focus on improving not only children’s life chances but families’ life chances.”

The report, which is going before the cabinet today, shows a strong link between living in poverty and a range of other factors that could affect someone’s chances of leading the life they want to.

In south Bridlington, for example, as well as having a high rate of child poverty, almost 60 per cent of children do not achieve a good level of development by the time they are five years old.

Similarly, more than one in five households in the area contain residents with no qualifications, compared with less than five per cent in South Hunsley.

Although the pattern is repeated in other areas of the East Riding, with low poverty areas generally having better levels of child development and lower levels of homelessness, for example, some statistics break this pattern and need further investigation, the report said.

One example is the link between poverty and low birth weights, whereas in north Cottingham, which has a low level of poverty, nearly ten per cent of babies are born with a low birth weight.

The strategy continues to advocate that East Riding towns and their surrounding areas are 
categorised as part of a strategic approach to regeneration, taking account of needs and opportunities.

Bridlington, Goole and South East Holderness are Category One areas, and have “significant” levels of market failure and household deprivation.

Category Two areas are Beverley, Haltemprice and Howden and are characterised by a mixtures of deprivation and affluence, while the remaining market towns and towns along the M62/A63 corridor are in Category Three.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “This Government remains committed to eradicating child poverty. The latest stats show there was a reduction of 300,000 children living in relative income poverty.

“However this is largely due to a fall in median income and there has been no real change to their lives.

“We want to take a new approach by tackling the root causes including worklessness, poor housing, educational failure and family breakdown that will better reflect the reality of child poverty in the UK today.

“Our welfare reforms will improve the lives of some of the poorest families in our communities, with the Universal Credit simplifying the complex myriad of benefits and making three million people better off. And by next year, we will have taken two million of the lowest earners out of paying tax altogether.”