Child poverty rises in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire

The analysis by the End Child Poverty Coalition found that levels in the county had gone up by 3.1 per cent, from 17.2 per cent to 20.3 per cent.

It is a rise that Ceredigion's MP Ben Lake has described as “devastating”.

There was a 1.9 per cent rise in Pembrokeshire, up to 21.4 per cent, the second highest overall figure in the country behind Blaenau Gwent, which stands at 22 per cent.

There was a 0.9 per cent rise in Carmarthenshire to 19.5 per cent.

Across Wales as a whole from 2014-15 to 2018-19, the report found child poverty fell 0.2 per cent to 18.1 per cent.

Even before the impact of covid-19 on household incomes, since 2014 around one in five children living in Wales has been experiencing poverty.

The End Child Poverty Coalition says it fears the issues will continue to deepen as the virus pulls more and more families below the poverty line.

The group is now calling on both Welsh and UK Government to take action and to commit to an ambitious strategy to immediately increase the amount of money in families’ pockets.

The coalition of 70 UK charities, faith groups, unions and community organisations worked with researchers at Loughborough University to analyse Government data over the last four years, even before housing costs are taken into account.

Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children’s Society, said: “These figures show that future generations are being let down by a continued failure to stop the rising levels of child poverty across parts of Wales and the UK.

“We know that without further action the current pandemic is only going to exacerbate this issue, leaving even more families struggling with poverty, hunger and hardship.

“We are delighted that the Welsh Government have responded to the pandemic with additional investment in the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) which provides help for those facing financial crisis, as well as allowing for greater flexibility for accessing the DAF.

“It is crucial that this new support is now communicated far and wide to anyone who might be in need of financial assistance.”

Anna Feuchtwang, chair of End Child Poverty, said: “We may all be experiencing the storm of coronavirus together, but we are not all in the same boat.

“The government’s data shows the extent to which over the past four years, children in low income families have been cut adrift and are already experiencing unacceptable hardship through cuts and freezes to the benefits system.

“Our country’s children are now at severe risk of being swept deeper into poverty as a result of the pandemic and lockdown. This is why we are asking the government to strengthen the social security system which is there to hold us steady during tough times, by immediately increasing household income for those least well-off.

“Ending child poverty must be at the heart of the Government’s plan for economic recovery.”

A spokesperson for Ceredigion County Council said: “Ceredigion County Council takes a very proactive stance in working with partner agencies to combat poverty in the county.

“Under the Ceredigion Public Services Board, the Combating Poverty Strategy incorporates a Child Poverty Strategy in order to facilitate an appropriate local response to tackling different poverty issues.

“This response includes a focus on increasing skills among adults and young people and reducing inequalities of opportunity for young people, children and young families.

“With the event of Covid-19, information is being collated within the council in order to closely monitor the worrying social and economic impact of this crisis on households in Ceredigion.

“This work will help inform a review of the current Combating Poverty Strategy with the aim of developing a robust strategic and co-ordinated response to emerging and evolving issues of increased financial hardship in the county.

“The council is very aware of increased pressures on families at this time and has already taken a number of important steps to mitigate hardship risks for residents and they include the provision of food boxes to vulnerable people, an enhanced free school meals scheme and continued care and support packages for vulnerable children and families.

“For further information about support available, residents can contact the council’s early help services at Porth Cymorth Cynnar through the customer contact centre on 01545 570881.”

Pembrokeshire County Council said: “Child poverty figures are primarily influenced by earned income and benefit levels for families - factors beyond the control of local authorities.

“We have recognised that this is an increasing issue across the county and are working to spread the reach of our family support services across all areas of Pembrokeshire.

“We are also one of a very few councils that still maintains a discretionary scheme (PDG Access Plus) to help low-income families with educational costs, such as school uniform and equipment.”

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake has described the large rise in child poverty in Ceredigion as ‘devastating’.

“The findings of this report – particularly as they relate to Ceredigion - are devastating,” said the Plaid Cymru MP.

“It is likely that the Covid-19 crisis will cause further financial instability, to which low-income families are most vulnerable, and likely to be hit the hardest.

“The UK Government must ensure that they invest in the welfare system, and avoid the temptation to pay for Covid-19 response by cutting budgets and a policy of austerity when it comes to funding for public services.

“The only way to ensure we address the child poverty crisis is by increasing funding for public services – in particular education and health – and our social security system. It has been clear for some time the safety net is fragile, but the pandemic has brought it in sharp relief.

“Poverty both destroys childhoods and limits future prospects, and all levels of Government have a duty to this generation to ensure that cost of Government policy is not placed on the shoulders of children.”

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Sally Holland said: “Reducing poverty’s impact on children and families is one of Welsh Government’s biggest challenges. Sadly, it is likely that child poverty will increase this year due to the current crisis.

“Last year my team and I listened to children’s experiences of living in poverty in Wales. Those experiences were striking - from children having to choose between drinking and eating at the school canteen, to having the same pair of school shoes for five years.

“I called on the Government to publish a Child Poverty Delivery Plan, showing the concrete and measurable steps they would take to reduce poverty’s impact on our most vulnerable children.

“In rural areas there are different and often extra challenges for families, and for the Government to solve.

“For instance, if a family can’t afford a car, then in urban areas it is usually easier to get about to work and the shops on public transport or by walking or cycling. It can be easier to source cheaper food as supermarkets may be nearer by.

“There will be more support services available too, and easier to get to.

“At the start of the current crisis, many families had to collect free school meals from the school or another centre. In rural areas it especially didn’t make any sense to get a bus to collect a packed lunch.

“This was necessary for some families and my office received calls about this issue. Thankfully as part of their arrangements most areas now are helping families by providing cash transfers instead, which they can spend in their nearest shop and without the stigma of a voucher.

“I’m also pleased that, to date, free school meal support has been extended over the holidays.

“It’s really important that children and their families’ experiences are heard from all over Wales, so that they can get the support that’s needed in their community.”

Elin Jones, MS for Ceredigion and the Senedd’s Presiding Officer, said: “The figures showing the rise in child poverty in Ceredigion are very concerning, although it is not clear yet what has caused this.

“It’s certainly the case that rural poverty is a matter that affects every aspect of life in Ceredigion. Access to higher paid jobs is harder and many parents may work in seasonal roles.

“Every level of Government must play its role in lowering this figure, and work must be done to further improve access to rural transport and the digital economy.”

“What is also pressing is the financial difficulties we will face following the coronavirus pandemic. Rural communities must be equal beneficiaries of Government support, and not disadvantaged by funding cuts.”

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MS Adam Price, who is also leader of Plaid Cymru, said: “This new report on the number of children living in poverty and facing a perilous future makes for some very worrying reading.

“While it is positive to see that the overall percentage for Wales is marginally lower, when you look at the data at local authority level there are some concerning trends.

“The fact the largest drops in percentage points have occurred in pre-dominantly urban areas of greater population density is unsurprising.

“Much of the modern discussion around poverty, particularly in the United Kingdom, is centred around urban areas, and the bulk of strategies that hope to lessen poverty are best tailored to these areas – they have the most people, therefore the most gains can theoretically be made there.

“What worries me greatly around this report is that many of our more agricultural and rural communities are among the areas where poverty has in fact increased.

“When you then consider the increased reliance of our rural communities on seasonal income from the tourism and hospitality sector, as well as being the backbone of a Welsh agricultural industry in desperate need of support, it paints a fragile picture indeed.

“What Wales’ rural communities need is a drastic re-thinking of how they can be supported economically, as this report indicates. While the impact of decreasing poverty in urban areas is still important, we cannot justify leaving our rural communities behind.”

“I am incredibly grateful to be working with Carmarthenshire County Council on such matters, who approved ‘Moving Rural Carmarthenshire Forward’ in September 2019, a wide-ranging strategy aimed at regenerating rural communities in Carmarthenshire.”

Neil Hamilton, MS for Mid and West Wales said: “In 20 years of the Welsh Assembly, things have got worse not better. To have one in five children in Ceredigion living in poverty - up from 17 per cent to 20 per cent - is a shocking indictment of the Labour/Plaid coalition which has ruled Wales since 1999.

"Adult poverty is getting worse too. Average incomes are now 25 per cent lower in Wales than the UK average. Since devolution began in 1999, Wales has sunk to the bottom of the incomes table of the four UK nations. Cardiff Bay politicians have failed. It is time to get rid of them.

A"n obsession with uneconomic green energy policies merely drives more people into fuel poverty. We need to abolish the Welsh Assembly/Senedd and save the £55 million currently used to pay politicians and bureaucrats.

"This money needs to be directed towards making home-grown Welsh businesses thrive, improving transport and other infrastructure, safeguarding Welsh farming, and driving families up out of poverty and dependency on the state and into self-sufficiency.”