Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has expressed concern over the current levels of poverty in the country, calling it “the highest in living memory.” In an interview with the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, Brown stated that he was “shocked and ashamed” at the situation, which he said had not been seen in “many, many years.”
Brown referred to these children as “austerity’s children,” those who were born in the last 15 years and have grown up in poverty. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), there are currently 4.3 million children in the UK living in poverty after housing costs, accounting for 30% of all children in the country. This figure has increased by 100,000 from the previous year.
The former prime minister pointed out that the cost of living crisis has made the situation even more difficult for many families. He described the situation as running a “multi-bank,” where people have to rely on food banks, clothes banks, furnishings banks, toiletries banks, and even baby banks to meet their basic needs. He also highlighted the fact that children from poorer communities are three-and-a-half times more likely to suffer from dental decay, which he attributed to the inability to afford basic toiletries such as soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.
Brown called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to take action in the upcoming autumn statement, while also advising Labour’s leader Sir Keir Starmer, who is on course to become the next prime minister, to stick to his principles. This comes as Starmer has faced criticism from some within his party for not committing to abolishing the two-child benefit cap, which prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children.
The former chancellor also urged for a “root and branch” review of Universal Credit, which he said has “gone wrong.” This includes the two-child benefit cap introduced by the Conservative government in 2017, which Brown believes should be dropped. He also highlighted the caps placed on housing benefits as another issue that needs to be addressed.
Brown also called for continued support for families through the £500m household support fund, set to expire at the end of September, and the creation of a children’s fund, involving foundations, charities, businesses, and governments at local and national levels.
In response to Brown’s comments, a spokesperson for the government stated that they are committed to tackling poverty and have taken steps such as increasing the minimum wage and providing free school meals for the most disadvantaged children. They also pointed out that the DWP statistics do not take into account the impact of government measures such as the furlough scheme and other support programs.
The interview with Gordon Brown can be watched on the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge from 7pm to 8pm Monday to Thursday.
