Just Over 30% Of Children In Wales Living In Poverty

Wales continues to have the highest levels of child poverty in the UK...with nearly a third affected.

The latest figures come from the Children's Commissioner for Wales Sally Holland who is calling for the UK Government to axe plans to scrap the £20 upturn in Universal Credit.

Along with her counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland she also wants an end to the two-child limit on benefits.

Watch full interview on YouTube by clicking Twitter link below:

Sally Holland said: “We remain deeply concerned that the two-child policy and the scrapping of the £20 uplift breaches children’s rights to an adequate standard of living and is contributing to a rising gap in poverty levels between families with three or more children and smaller households."

“The two-child limit in particular has a disproportionate impact on social groups where larger families are more common, such as some minority faith and ethnic groups and in Northern Ireland where families are larger than the rest of the UK.”

The Commissioner is also welcoming the Welsh Government's plans to pilot Universal Basic Income - with care leavers expected to be among the first cohort to take part in a trial. She told us: "I'm excited that they are thinking of trying to look at whether if you give everybody in one area or belonging to one group a basic income and they can then rely on that and work on top of it - whether that will reduce poverty.

"There have been some interesting findings from abroad - it has worked better in some areas than other. I am very keen that we do things that work. I think it is right that the Government on a small scale first and if it works, wow, wouldn't it be great to have a more equal society? Because another thing research evidence shows us is that a more equal society is better for everyone. So countries where income is more equal like Scandinavian countries for example - actually everyone no matter how rich or poor are happier, they experience less crime in their communities and people's health is better too. So it benefits all of us.