Westminster 'Redefining' Child Poverty

The UK Government is being accused of abandoning its responsibility for reducing child poverty.

At the moment it is defined as any child living in a household earning less than 60% of the average wage. The Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith wants to use the proportion of children living in workless households and educational attainment to measure it.

Child poverty groups say Westminster's failing to hit its poverty targets, and that this move won't do anything to help children living in deprivation. Around 19% of children in Fife live in poverty, according to the most recent figures.

Margaret Burgess is the Scottish Welfare Minister, she says some may see this as an attempt to mask the reality of child poverty:

Shadow Scotland Secretary, Ian Murray, said:
 
"The Tories are trying to make child poverty go away by pretending that if you don't measure it, it doesn't exist. The last Labour Government reduced child poverty and made significant progress towards meeting our targets on poverty. Under this Tory government, that process is in danger of going into reverse.
 
"These statutory targets and measures exist for a reason: to ensure progress is made and hold governments to account. Over 200,000 children in Scotland are living in poverty and that number will rise when the Tories' welfare cuts start to bite."

The UK Government says this announcement's the foundation of a new, comprehensive way of addressing poverty and reflects their conviction that work is the best route out of poverty.