More than four million children across the UK are living in poverty – with half of all kids living below the breadline in some areas.
Shocking figures show a huge variation between rich and poor across the country.
More than half of children in 10 Parliamentary constituencies officially live in poverty – including areas of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford and Blackburn.
It comes as the Daily Mirror today launches our Give Me Five campaign. We are calling on Boris Johnson to increase child benefit by £5 a week to end the scourge of child poverty.
Without action the number of kids in poverty in the UK is set to rise even further from 4.1million to 5.2million in the next two years.
We want an immediate increase in child benefit – a move which would lift 200,000 children out of destitution.
We also want the Government to restore child tax credits, to scrap the two-child limit and to axe the benefit cap.
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group said: “We’re a country that wants every child to thrive. But child poverty is rising – not falling.
“That should ring alarm bells for every politician because it will damage children’s well- being, their chances in life and the country’s economy."
Are you a parent struggling with poverty? Email [email protected]
In Poplar and Limehouse, East London, an astonishing 58.5% of children live in poverty after housing costs.
Across the capital, in affluent Twickenham, less than 20% are in the same position.
And even within the same cities, the gap is astonishing. In central York, 28.5% of children live in poverty.
But on the outskirts of the city, the data compiled by End Child Poverty reveals, this figure is 16.5%.
Use our exclusive tool below to find out how bad child poverty is in your area
Anna Feuchtwang, who chairs the End Child Poverty coalition, said: "The Government’s own data shows that child poverty in the UK has been rising steadily in recent years.
"This just isn’t right."
Critics have slammed the government and said more needs to be done to help children affected by swingeing cuts.
Read more about our Give Me Five campaign
Labour MP David Lammy , whose Tottenham constituency has a child poverty figure of 48.6%, told Mirror Online that Tory austerity and cruel changes to the benefit system were to blame.
He warned that this was fuelling the knife crime epidemic which has blighted the capital, and said the repercussions will be felt for generations to come.
Sign our petition calling on Boris Johnson to increase child benefit
He said: "The consequences of a whole new generation of impoverished children will be felt for generations – not only in reduced educational opportunity and economic output, but also the knife crime epidemic that exists on our streets.”
The 25 places where child poverty is highest
(Figures show percentage of children in poverty after housing costs)
Poplar and Limehouse (London) – 58.6%52.4
Bethnal Green and Bow (London) – 55.3%
East Ham (London) – 53.8%
Birmingham, Hodge Hill – 53.5%
Blackburn – 52.4%
Islington South and Finsbury (London) – 52.2%
Manchester, Gorton – 52.1%
Blackley and Broughton (Manchester) – 51.3%
Bradford West – 50.9%
West Ham (London) – 50.5%
Birmingham, Ladywood – 49.6%
Peterborough – 48.9%
Hackney South and Shoreditch (London) – 48.7%
Tottenham (London) – 48.6%
Edmonton (London) – 48.5%
Manchester Central – 48.5%
Vauxhall (London) – 48.1%
Newcastle upon Tyne Central – 48%
Hackney North and Stoke Newington (London) – 47.9%
Birmingham, Hall Green – 47.2%
Ilford South (London) – 46.9%
Bradford East – 46.7%
Walsall South – 46.5%
Walsall North – 46.3%
Source: End Child Poverty
His views were echoed by Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell, who said: "Falling child poverty was one of the legacies of the last Labour government, yet a decade of Tory rule has shamefully reversed that trend."
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