One in five children in key worker households in the East Midlands live in poverty
According to a new TUC report
New research published by the TUC has found that 81,000 children of key workers in the East Midlands are living in poverty.
The report, produced by Landman Economics, used the government definition for key workers and found over a million children of key workers across the UK are living below the poverty line.
In the East Midlands the rate matches the national average with 21% in poverty. That number is higher in the West Midlands (25%) and highest in the North East (29%).
The TUC claim the main reason for poverty in the families of key workers are low pay and insecure hours.
Ministers have capped pay rises for key workers in the public sector, which in some cases will mean real wage losses. And the chancellor is planning to cut Universal Credit for low-income families by £20 per week in October.
TUC Midlands Regional Secretary Lee Barron said: “All our key workers in the East Midlands deserve a decent standard of living for their family. But too often their hard work is not paying off like it should. And they struggle to keep up with the basic costs of family life.
“The prime minister has promised to ‘build back fairer’. He should start with our key workers. They put themselves in harm’s way to keep the country going through the pandemic. Now, we must be there for them too.
“This isn’t just about doing right thing by key workers. If we put more money in the pockets of working families, their spending will help our businesses and high streets recover in the East Midlands. It’s the fuel in the tank that our economy needs.”
A Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to making sure every child gets the best start in life, and this is central to our efforts to level up opportunity across the country.
“Children in households where every adult is working are around five times less likely to be in poverty than households where nobody works. That is why our multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs is vital, as it helps people improve their skills and move forward in their working life as we build back better.”