Child poverty

The recent OECD report about child poverty in the UK has provoked a very mixed bag of reactions. Supporters of the last government and its approach to tackling child poverty have hailed the report as their vindication and confirmation that the current cuts will reverse the progress that was made.

Today was the launch of the government's social mobility strategy which is thoughtful and highlights many very important issues. Its life-cycle approach, examining issues and interventions from the early years into adulthood is particularly useful. The use of evidence and research in describing the problems is excellent.

Five years ago, the JRF child poverty programme started as a single project addressing a widespread worry among charities and activists: the Government had committed to halving child poverty by 2010 and ending it by 2020 but had not set out any strategy for doing so. Initially, therefore, we aimed to start mapping out possible paths to meet the targets and highlight how far policies at the time were likely to succeed.

Many of the rows over the Spending Review in October and subsequent spending cuts will be about hard-edged issues: benefits, health, policing, social services, housing. Some will involve services which may be seen as less important, but have strong defenders – libraries, swimming pools, speed cameras.

But two issues that may not come up very much are vital to the interests of families living in poverty.

Today's budget was looking very grim for people in poverty, then, right at the end, came a ray of light for families with children. The announcement of an increase in child tax credit of £150 (with a further increase of £60 in 2012/13) is very significant, costing £2 billion a year and equivalent to the commitment made by Gordon Brown in his 2007 budget.

This year marks the EU year of poverty and social exclusion. There is also a real appetite among political parties to tackle UK poverty. So what better way to mark 2010 than ensuring the UK renews its commitment to eradicating child poverty?

We know that the government will fail to reach its target of halving child poverty in the UK by 2010. But what can be done to ensure that it still achieves its target of eradicating UK child poverty by 2020? Simply enshrining the pledge in law will not be enough.