Meacher warns cuts will fuel poverty

OLDHAM MP Michael Meacher has warned that pushing ahead with £12 billion of welfare cuts will increase child poverty to one in four.

Tomorrow Chancellor George Osborne will set out how he will cut the enormous sum, which has led to experts fearing poverty levels will soar.

The Oldham West and Royton MP said: “Child poverty tripled under Thatcher from one in nine children to one in three, but then fell by 800,000 under Labour after 1997. This continued initially under Cameron but that easing of the child poverty stigma has now come firmly to an end as a result of the housing benefit cap, the bedroom tax and the one per cent cap on benefit increases.”

It is now forecast, particularly if the new round of £12bn cuts is launched in the budget, that child poverty will have increased by a third to one in four by 2020.

Mr Meacher said: “I am deeply concerned that any more cuts will increase child poverty and will result in having to go without basics as their parents struggle against austerity cuts. Families are already struggling, we know this from the huge increase in food banks and this will make it even worse.”