Child poverty in Britain rising

The number of children in the UK living in relative poverty increased last year - a "moral disgrace" according to campaigners.

Official statistics revealed the number of children living below the poverty threshold rose for the first time in almost a decade, going up to 2.8 million from 2.7 million.

This figure increases to 3.8 million when housing costs - such as rent or mortgage payments - were factored in, an increase of 200,000 from comparable figures for the previous year.

Campaigners seized on the data as evidence that the Government was now destined to miss its key targets of halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020.

Save the Children called for urgent action and massive investment to get policy back on track, while political opponents called for a completely new approach to tackle the problem of poverty.

Colette Marshall, UK director of Save the Children, said: "The child poverty target, supposedly one of the Government's chief priorities, is now in serious jeopardy.

Barnardo's chief executive Martin Narey called the figures a "moral disgrace".

Political opponents used the statistics as evidence of Government failure.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne called for a completely new approach to tackling poverty, based on social responsibility.

"Gordon Brown's approach of simply throwing money at the problem has failed," he added.

The Government unveiled new measures to get its child poverty policy back on track following the disappointing figures.

A "refocusing" of £150 million would see the New Deal for Lone Parents scheme extended, while a New Deal for Families will be piloted.

The Government also pledged a widening of the in-work credit scheme while expressing initial support for proposals that would require lone parents to look for work once their youngest child reaches 12.

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