More than a third of Newham children in poverty

Over a third of children in Newham are growing up in poverty according to a national map of deprivation.

The Campaign to End Child Poverty classed children as in poverty if their family’s income fell below 60 per cent of the average yearly income of �25,000.

Their findings show that 37 per cent of children in Newham are in families relying on out of work benefits, a statistic that ranks the borough the fifth worst in London and the seventh worst in the UK.

Campaign executive director Alison Garnham said: “Child poverty costs us billions picking up the pieces of damaged lives and unrealised potential.

“Targeting cuts on families will prove both an economic and a social disaster, with businesses losing billions of pounds of demand and families struggling to keep their kids clothed, fed and warm.”

The report used tax credit data from estimates made in mid-2011, taking into account recent unemployment to estimate changes in children’s financial position as their parents have been made redundant.

A government spokesperson said: “We are supporting local authorities to tackle child poverty in Britain.

“We are tackling the root causes of poverty to break the cycle of deprivation for future generations.

“We are also cutting fuel duty, freezing Council Tax, introducing the Pupil Premium, expanding free childcare for poor two-year-olds and cutting income tax for millions.”

The figures were also broken down by constituency with Poplar and Canning Town home to 48 per cent of children living in deprived conditions, the third highest percentage in the UK.

In West Ham, 39 per cent of children came from a low income family while the statisic stood at 36 per cent in East Ham.

The average percentage of children living in poverty across England is 20.9 per cent, with the most deprived children in neighbouring Tower Hamlets where one in two children are said to come from families reliant on out of work benefits.