The Tory manifesto could push child poverty to a 60-year high

The policies published in the Conservative party manifesto for next month’s general election are likely to send child poverty soaring, a think tank claims.

Research by the Resolution Foundation showed that the Tory pledges offered no change to the welfare status quo – meaning more than £3.8 billion in further cuts to benefits if the party stays in power after the election.

It was forecasted that child poverty would reach a record high of 34 per cent by 2023-4.

The amount of public spending promised by Labour is 28 times greater than that pledged in the Tory manifesto. However the same report warned that the policies set out in the Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos would all fail to cut child poverty from where it is now (29.6 per cent).

The extra £9bn public spending promised by Labour would also mean 550,000 fewer children or their families were struggling to get by, but the overall rate of child poverty would stay the same. This is largely because the party did not outline solid plans to cuts to benefits though it has committed to scrapping the two-child benefit limit, the benefits freeze, bedroom tax and Universal Credit.

Laura Gardiner, research director at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Against the backdrop of major cuts, the parties’ manifestos do offer big choices on social security.

“Under the Conservatives little is set to change, and child poverty risks reaching a record high in the coming years. Labour and Liberal Democrat pledges to spend £9bn more would mean child poverty being over 500,000 lower than under Conservative plans. However, this would not do enough to see child poverty fall from today’s already high levels.’

Experts at the think tank said policy decisions made since 2010, when Labour was last in power in Westminster, meant social security spending is sitting at £34bn than it would have been otherwise.

The foundation warned that despite Labour’s “highly progressive” plans for social security including free broadband, school meals and childcare, in-work poverty would remain a real danger for working-age families.

The Liberal Democrats’ pledges are also considered “slightly more progressive” than Labour’s thanks to less pensioner spending and “welcome improvements to Universal Credit for second earners and the self-employed”.

A the Conservative party spokesperson said: “We are committed to tackling child poverty and have made progress since we came into government – with 730,000 fewer children in workless households.

“But we know that we must continue to make every effort on this issue and our manifesto sets out how we will use the tax and benefits system to do this. The prime minister has committed to giving every child in the country the opportunities to make the most of their talents.”