Quarter of Midlands key worker children living in poverty
More than 110,000 children of key workers in the West Midlands live in poverty, according to research for the Trades Union Congress.
The research, produced by Landman Economics, found the region has one of the highest rates, at 25 per cent, which would put 112,000 children in poverty
It found that more than a million children of key workers across the UK – one in five – are living in poverty.
The highest rate of 29 per cent is in the North East followed by London at 27 per cent.
The TUC says the main reasons for key worker family poverty are low pay and insecure hours – factors that often coincide in occupations such as care workers, delivery drivers or supermarket staff.
High housing costs further reduce key worker family budgets for essentials like groceries and utility bills. And support through Universal Credit is not enough to guarantee families avoid poverty, says the TUC.
It warns that current Government policies are likely to increase child poverty rates. Ministers have capped pay rises for key workers in the public sector, which in some cases will mean real wage losses. And the Chancellor is planning to cut Universal Credit for low-income families by £20 per week in October.
The organisation also warns that these policies will put the brakes on the nation’s economic recovery by curbing household spending which will restrain business activity and impact on wage growth for other workers across the economy.
TUC Midlands Regional Secretary Lee Barron said: “All our key workers in the West Midlands deserve a decent standard of living for their family. But too often their hard work is not paying off like it should. And they struggle to keep up with the basic costs of family life.
“The Prime Minister has promised to ‘build back fairer’. He should start with our key workers. They put themselves in harm’s way to keep the country going through the pandemic. Now, we must be there for them too.
“This isn’t just about doing right thing by key workers. If we put more money in the pockets of working families, their spending will help our businesses and high streets recover in the West Midlands. It’s the fuel in the tank that our economy needs.”
