Norwich councillors call for action on child poverty in city
A local headteacher said her pupils were coming in with bowed legs and heart murmurs due to malnourishment
Councillors in Norwich are calling for action, after damning claims city children are going hungry and suffering from health issues caused by malnourishment.
Norwich City Council members are demanding more is done to tackle the “extreme poverty” that has worsened due to the cost of living crisis.
It follows reports from a headteacher at West Earlham Infant and Nursery School that her pupils were coming in with bowed legs and heart murmurs due to malnourishment, with one two-year-old attempting to eat sand they were so hungry.
Labour member Adam Giles, who represents Crome ward, said these “shocking” stories of child hunger “highlight the growing extreme poverty within our city”.
Several motions have been put forward by Labour, Green Party and Liberal Democrat members, urging the authority to address the growing issue and to put pressure on the government to do more to help.
This includes lobbying to end the two-child benefit cap, permanently introduce free school meals and to offer more support to households struggling with their finances.
"Poverty premium"
Lucy Galvin, leader of the Green Party group, has called for the council to explore ways to tackle the “poverty premium” – a phenomenon that leads to poorer people paying more for goods and services – through the provision of more financial services to help with managing debt.
It follows a report by anti-poverty campaign Fair by Design, which showed a third of households in the city were affected by this, which resulted in an average of £466 of increased costs.
She said: “High unemployment and poverty have been part of life in some wards in our city for generations but the cost-of-living crisis has sharpened the effects. Children’s health is compromised.”
The proposals will be discussed at next week’s full council meeting.