Campaigners are calling on Philip Hammond to deliver on claims that austerity is ending when he announces his Budget today.
If ever there was a Budget that needed to tackle the rising number of children in poverty, this is the one, leading charities have said.
There are now a staggering 4,000,000 children living below the poverty line in the UK and it is predicted that number will grow by a million by 2020.
The Chancellor is expected to support Theresa Mays declaration in her Conservative Party conference speech that the era of austerity is over when he announces his economic plan.
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive at The Childrens Society, said government cuts are taking their toll on children in poverty.
Benefit freezes and the national roll-out of Universal Credit further threaten the poorest children in society, he added.
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Poverty has a devastating impact on childrens lives, he told Metro.co.uk:
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It can lead to them missing out on hot meals, sleeping in cold bedrooms and being bullied at school, as well as drastically reducing their long-term life chances.
Government policies including the four-year benefits freeze are taking their toll and unless big changes are made to Universal Credit, many families – including those with parents who are working, are severely disabled, or who have disabled children – will lose out further.
The Government cannot let child poverty go unchecked, and this Budget is a golden opportunity to address major issues which are affecting millions of children.
As a starting point the five week wait for a first Universal Credit payment must be addressed by turning advance loans for families who are kept waiting into grants so they are not plunged straight into debt.
With concerted action, we can change the picture for children in poverty and taking these steps would show that the Government recognises families are facing real hardship and wants to do more to tackle this serious issue.
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Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Alison Garnham, said the rising numbers of children in poverty is a burning injustice.
The Chancellor must end the freeze on family benefits – a stealth cut that has hit family budgets hard, she said.
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He must reverse the cuts to Universal Credit made in 2015 and pause its roll-out for a review.
It is time to make good on the claim that austerity is ending and bring families in from the cold.
On Sunday, rebel Tory and Labour MPs called Universal Credit – which merges six benefits into one payment – woefully inadequate.
The cross-party Commons Work and Pensions Committee wants the roll-out delayed until mid-2019 to ensure families are not pushed over the edge and into debt.
Conservative MPs are among those growing increasingly concerned after repeated complaints from low-income families in areas where UC has already been introduced who are being driven into debt because of delays in issuing the new payments.
The Department for Work and Pensions said it had already tried to address the concerns of the committee by creating of a new £51 million partnership with Citizens Advice to deliver universal support.
But Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said a roll-out of UC would force people into poverty.
Tory rebels, including Iain Duncan Smith, are calling for £2 billion to be allocated to smoothing the transition to protect the hardest hit groups.
Garry Lemon, Director of Policy and Research at the Trussell Trust, which runs more than 1,200 foodbank centres across the UK, told Metro.co.uk that if UC is not improved, more and more people would be forced to rely on foodbanks.
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It is vital the Budget addresses growing concerns about Universal Credit, he said.
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We created our benefits system to make sure support would be in place for each other, but if Universal Credit is to continue this legacy, more must be done and it must be done now.
Waiting weeks for Universal Credit, not being able to access support, receiving payments that just dont cover the cost of essentials – these are the things forcing people to use foodbanks.
Problems are only likely to increase if the Government doesnt acknowledge the scale of the problem and learn the lessons of roll-out so far.
This is the time to act – the Budget this afternoon is an opportunity to do the right thing and invest in Universal Credit.
If our benefits system is going to anchor people from being swept into poverty, it needs to be properly funded.
Mr Hammond has already stressed that major decisions on future spending will not be taken until the spending review next year, by which time it is expected the outcome of the Brexit negotiations will be known.
Once we get a good deal from the European Union and the smooth exit from the EU, we will be able to show the British people that the fruits of their hard work are now at last in sight, he said.
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