Almost half of inner Glasgow children living in poverty

Almost half of children in central Glasgow are growing up in poverty, according to a study that reveals a “growing crisis” in family living standards.

Glasgow Central ranks 12th out of 650 constituencies in the UK, the End Child Poverty campaign found, with 45 per cent of all children living in poverty.

It means nearly half of all children in the area, which covers parts of Govanhill and the Gorbals, live in homes where the family income is less than 60 per cent of the UK median.

Across the UK, the research showed that some of the most deprived areas of the country have seen the biggest increases in child poverty over the past few years.

It prompted calls for the government to end the freeze on children’s benefits so that families no longer see living standards squeezed as prices rise.

Child poverty is highest in large cities, with the worst-affected areas found in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Just over half of children in the constituencies of Bethnal Green and Bow (London), Birmingham Ladywood, Poplar and Limehouse (London) and Birmingham Hodge Hill were said to be living in poverty.

Tower Hamlets in London leads the list of local authorities with the highest percentage of children in poverty (53 per cent), while the lowest is the Isles of Scilly (5 per cent). The child poverty rate across the City of Glasgow council area is 34.31 per cent, just outside the top 25 in the UK.

Sam Royston, who chairs End Child Poverty and is director of policy and research at the Children’s Society, said: “It is scandalous that a child born in some parts of the UK now has a greater chance of growing up in poverty, than being in a family above the breadline.

“There can be little doubt that the government’s policy of maintaining the benefits freeze despite rising prices is a major contributor to the emerging child poverty crisis.

“No family in modern Britain should be struggling to put food on the table, heat their homes and clothe their children.”

The coalition is made up of almost 100 organisations including children’s charities, faith groups and trade unions. Among these is the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).

Dalia Ben-Galim, of single parent campaign group Gingerbread, said: “Increasing levels of child poverty will continue to be the reality for many single parent families with the cost of living rising.”

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Debbie Abrahams said: “Increasing child poverty is a direct result of this government’s utter failure to tackle the increasing cost of living, stagnating wages and their slashing of social security support.”