JRF poverty report: government has done next to nothing to tackle this “poverty pandemic”

EMBARGO: 00.01 Wednesday 29th January

Responding to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s annual poverty report which found almost one in three children in England will be in poverty by 2029, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

“From their refusal to scrap the two child benefit cap and their heartless decision to cut the Winter Fuel Payments, this government has done next to nothing to tackle the growing poverty pandemic in this county.

“Ministers need to reverse these policies or we will continue to see these intolerable situations.

“It’s heartbreaking that so many people are still struggling to afford the very basics - with the numbers only growing. And it’s unacceptable that in 2025, families have to worry how they’ll keep a roof over their children’s heads, and some pensioners have to choose between heating and eating. 

“This deep poverty is a scar on the nation made by the Conservative Party but the Labour government has so far just sat on its hands.” 

ENDS