“It's bad enough that for a second year running our child poverty rate is at 30%, largely driven by social security cuts, but for hard-pressed families there is worse to come. We are only half way into a four-year freeze on children’s benefits that is hitting family budgets very hard. Child benefit alone will lose 23% of its value over the decade so low-income families are losing core support as prices rise.
“All serious academics and economists, including the IFS, project that child poverty will rise by a further 1 million by 2021/22. A serious policy response is required to fill the current policy vacuum on child poverty and children’s life chances.
“Today’s figures should sound a warning bell that if we fail to invest in children we will damage the life chances of a generation and the long-term prosperity of the country.”

• Warnings and sanctions for single parents arise as a result of unrealistic and rigid job-seeking requirements under benefit rules, which fail to recognise single parents’ barriers to work (eg a lack of childcare or flexible work)
• The promise of personalised support with new claimant commitments and Universal Credit has failed to materialise
• Single parents end up with debts and have to rely on foodbanks and other emergency support when sanctioned – even if these are later overturned
• Single parents are left unable to afford to travel to the jobcentre or interviews after a sanction – leaving them further from work
• Sanctions (and warnings) cause considerable distress for parents worried about having the means to look after and care for their children while sanctioned.