As organisations working with and on behalf of children and the low paid we share the prime minister’s wish to open up opportunity for all our children and to tackle the UK’s low-pay problem (Report, 22 June, theguardian.com) – almost two-thirds of poor children come from working families.
This is precisely why we welcomed his government’s (partly delivered) announcement to invest in child tax credits in the 2010 spending review and why, now, we believe it would be a mistake to cut them. The cuts reportedly being considered could mean a low-paid family with two children will lose up to £1,690 a year. Two-thirds of the families affected by the proposal are in work and 60% of cuts have already fallen on working people. The biggest impact will be felt by the poorest 30% of households and no one in the top 40% will be affected.
Since 2010, the UK has suffered the longest period of falling real wages in modern British history, which is why David Cameron is right to say that low-paid workers need higher wages. But he fails to explain how cutting tax credits will achieve that.
We simply do not understand how the government believes that cutting vital help for children and the low paid will reduce poverty, open up opportunity for children and support working families. Undoubtedly, such measures would damage work incentives and the cut to child tax credits alone would put 300,000 more children into child poverty.
The UK is facing a mounting child poverty crisis. The public wants – and our children need – the government to act now to avert disaster, not make the problem significantly worse.
Alison Garnham
Chief executive, Child Poverty Action Group
Frances O’Grady
General secretary, Trades Union Congress
• According to David Cameron, the current definition of child poverty is inadequate because if average national income falls the statistics record an apparent fall in child poverty when no such fall has occurred (Tory plan to redefine child poverty, 24 June). But the current problem is that there is a fall in average incomes and yet the statistics are showing an increase in child poverty. Even if the definition is wrong it cannot explain this. I wonder what does.
Dudley Turner
London
• How ironic that on 24 June the headline is “Tory plan to redefine child poverty” on the same day that the government announces a budget increase for the royal family of 6.7%. This also follows closely on the Tory proposals to make swingeing cuts to the welfare budget spearheaded by Iain Duncan Smith. It seems we are living in a parallel universe where the rich just get richer and the poor get poorer. How does this square with the “one nation” strategy constantly being trumpeted by Cameron and the Tory party?
This level of inequality only goes to highlight that the Tories are not the party for working people or the oppressed. Rather than creating this “one nation” they are in reality creating deeper divisions in society. While the royals bask in their increased budget, children, the sick, disabled people and the most vulnerable in our society are suffering and losing benefits. It’s time to stand up for equality and make a fairer society for all, not just the few.
Anthony Fitzpatrick
Sheffield
• Anent the Tories’ clever plan to reduce child poverty: why bother with lies when you can change your damned statistics?
Jinty Nelson
London
• How many Tory politicians does it take to change a lightbulb? None, they just redefine dark.
Paul Gorton
Cheadle, Cheshire
