Child poverty crisis: Number of Cumbrian youngsters now living below breadline hits 20,000

Latest figures from End Child Poverty show that almost a quarter of children in some parts of the county are affected.

In the worst-hit areas that rises to one in three - and in two Cumbrian communities, Whitehaven's Sandwith and Barrow's Central wards, nearly half of all children are classed as living in poverty.

In Carlisle's Upperby and Botcherby wards, a third of all children are affected, with similar rates on Workington's Moss Bay and Moorclose estates, and Ewanrigg in Maryport.

Local representatives say they are regularly seeing families struggling to make ends meet, and fear their youngsters will end up stuck in the poverty trap for life if urgent action is not taken.

It is a stark contrast to some of the more affluent areas of the Copeland, Carlisle and Barrow boroughs, with well under 10 per cent of children in St Bees, Wetheral and Hawcoat in poverty.

Even in Eden and South Lakeland there are pockets of child poverty, with one in three children in Kendal's Kirkland ward and Alston Moor in Eden living in households that are struggling.

Earlier this week the West Cumbria Child Poverty Forum published a new report, pulling together local data and providing an overview of the current situation in Allerdale and Copeland.

Suzanne Wilson, a research fellow in social exclusion and community development at the University of Central Lancashire's Westlakes campus, helped compile the document.

She described local statistics - showing one in eight households across Cumbria are living on an income of less than £10,000 - as "shocking" and said the number of children in poverty is rising.

This is backed by the latest End Child Poverty report, which reveals the number of children in each district council ward classed as living in poverty after housing costs.

This is calculated by looking at families' average income, plus in and out of work benefits claims.

Former headteacher Willie Slavin is chairman of the West Cumbria Child Poverty Forum and a trustee of the Howgill Family Centre.

The forum recently held a round table event, bringing together councillors, school representatives and others, to focus on tackling the deeper issues and culminating in the new report.

At the event there were examples of young families living in housing affected by severe damp and crumbling walls.

Other parents are worried about the stigma of using a foodbank or fear their children will be taken into care.

Mr Slavin said child poverty is a problem that needs urgent attention.

"If you look at the Sandwith ward, at Kells, it is at 47 per cent.

"That's half of kids in that ward, including Woodhouse and Greenbank estates, living in poverty," he explained.

"The statistics about families earning less than £10,000 a year, we just couldn't believe that. When you think that the average national income is £26,000 for a family."

And he said it is not just those areas classed as deprived.

"We were staggered by the numbers in Keswick. There have been people hit by the floods who lost houses and jobs," he said.

"Most families are only one pay cheque from poverty. If you lost your job you might get the money to keep going for a few months but after that benefits will in no way meet your requirements."

Mr Slavin said the rise in foodbank usage shows that child poverty is real, and some are even offering packed lunches in school holidays so that children are getting at least one guaranteed meal a day.

"It's very difficult to tell what happens after school but it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that a lot of children are not going home to a substantial meal," he said.

Asked how it has reached this point, he said it is largely to do with education and employment.

"It's those people with a good level of education that are able to get the higher paid jobs. That's dragged people up - those people with higher technical skills.

"This gap has appeared because, at the same time, all the industrial jobs have disappeared.

"People used to follow their father into the pit. Those jobs have long gone.

"I came here in 1981 and taught at St Mary's in Kells.

"In those days 1,500 people worked at Marchon and about 500 at Haig Pit.

"That's 2,000 jobs that have gone in the Sandwith ward.

"If you take that into account, you do not have to look much further. Some people have been absorbed by Sellafield, but not many."

County councillor Mike Hawkins represents Mirehouse in Whitehaven, where almost a third of children live in poverty.

He said it also has health implications.

"Some people in my ward have a 15 year less life expectancy than someone living less than two miles away in the Hillcrest ward," he explained.

Barrow Council's Alec Proffitt, who represents the town's poverty-stricken Central ward, said: "It's absolutely appalling to think that nearly one in every two children in my ward are living under the breadline.

"It's a national disgrace.

"We see it every day in Barrow. People are trying to get access to foodbanks and can't afford to heat their homes."

He claims austerity cuts, affecting both household and council incomes, are to blame for reversing efforts to reduce child poverty.

"Housing is a crucial area. The cost of living is going up, wages are stagnating and the poorest are being left behind," he said.

"As local authorities we are doing a lot to try and bring people out of poverty, however the real crux of the issue is the lack of available funds.

"The cuts that have been delivered since 2010 have stopped us in our tracks of trying to drag people out of poverty.

"It's heartbreaking as a local authority representative that we do not feel we can help people as much as we want to."

Lee Sherriff, portfolio holder for communities, health and wellbeing on Carlisle City Council, is also concerned.

"This is high on our agenda. We do have quite a low wage economy in Carlisle, so we need to tackle that," she said.

"Pay issues need to be tackled nationally. It isn't just Carlisle. Child poverty is a problem all over the country.

"The cost of living is generally rising higher than people's wages.

"We know that if you're born into poverty it's harder to get out of that chain.

"That's why we need to provide opportunities, to make sure that children who are born into that situation are helped to get a foot on the ladder.

"Any funds that we do get need to be targeted at those who need it most, to give them that chance."

Mr Proffitt is calling for more investment in children's centres, which have seen budgets cut in recent years, so that families in the worst-affected areas can get the support they need.

"To bring children out of poverty we have to look at it from year zero, and even prior to them being born.

"We need the support services like Surestart, and they need more investment, not less.

"It will cost more in the long run if we do not help in those early years," he said.

Having been involved with the Howgill Family Centre from its outset, Mr Slavin agrees that these community facilities are key.

He said when it was first established, targeting areas with the highest deprivation like Kells and Woodhouse, they started to see less poverty.

"I think the Surestart programme was the most effective government policy that helped families," he explained.

But he said although Cumbria County Council has kept these open, unlike in some other parts of England, cuts to its budget have meant that significantly less funding is available.

"They are still managing to provide a service, but it's a fraction of what we need to reverse this trend," he said.

West Cumbrian MP Trudy Harrison said child poverty is not a new problem, and there is no simple solution.

"The child poverty levels in Copeland have been unacceptable for decades, any child living in poverty is appalling. Sadly we live in an area of those who have, and those who have not," she said.

"There is not one single issue, but many which need to be addressed to really make a difference and I work with partners both locally and in Government to drive the change required."

Mrs Harrison said she wants to increase the opportunities available to young people locally, including apprenticeships.

"Ensuring children have the best education, and ladder of opportunity to reach their full potential, jobs and a thriving economy with services and an effective safety net is paramount," she said.

In west Cumbria, a number of local councillors have pledged to become child poverty champions.

This will see them encourage partnership working, stand up for their local areas, help to develop policies and influence decisions that affect those living in poverty and lobby at a local and national level for more focus on this key issue.

Allerdale: Number of children living in poverty, July-Sept 2017 - 4290 (percentage 23.2%)

All Saints - 160 (18.03%)

Aspatria -157 (22.29%)

Boltons - 35 (12.78%)

Broughton/St Bridget’s - 87 (10.07%)

Christ Church - 93 (16.81%)

Clifton - 70 (20.89%)

Crummock - 45 (20.99%)

Dalton - 39 (11.17%)

Derwent Valley - 32 (14.7%)

Ellen - 106 (15.4%)

Ellenborough - 237 (31.01%)

Ewanrigg - 304 (34.96%)

Flimby - 85 (22.56%)

Harrington - 90 (17%)

Holme - 113 (34.72%)

Keswick - 150 (19.03%)

Marsh - 41 (14.59%)

Moorclose - 415 (34.04%)

Moss Bay - 482 (36.8%)

Netherhall - 71 (14%)

St John’s - 193 (22.29%)

St Michael’s - 298 (30.06%)

Seaton - 124 (11.68%)

Silloth - 181 (32.6%)

Solway - 70 (27.37%)

Stainburn - N/A

Wampool - 38 (12.54%)

Warnell - 64 (19.42%)

Waver - 80 (23.84%)

Wharrels - 35 (13.7%)

Wigton - 285 (23.36%)

Barrow: Number of children living in poverty, July-Sept 2017 - 3551 (percentage 25.01%)

Barrow Island - 143 (30.71%)

Central - 537 (45.54%)

Dalton North - 204 (17.67%)

Dalton South - 256 (20.1%)

Hawcoat - 40 (6.7%)

Hindpool - 457 (35.16%)

Newbarns - 156 (13.87%)

Ormsgill - 454 (30.91%)

Parkside - 226 (20.14%)

Risedale - 539 (32.58%)

Roosecote - 65 (8.05%)

Walney North - 219 (21.32%)

Walney South - 205 (19.77%)

Carlisle: Number of children living in poverty, July-Sept 2017 - 4464 (percentage 20.79%)

Belah - 230 (19.24%)

Belle Vue - 419 (25.02%)

Botcherby - 514 (31.92%)

Brampton - 203 (21.48%)

Burgh - 54 (14.5%)

Castle - 239 (25.32%)

Currock - 383 (26.14%)

Dalston - 149 (13.61%)

Denton Holme - 305 (24.58%)

Great Corby and Geltsdale - 39 (11.17%)

Harraby - 261 (18.52%)

Hayton - 39 (10.46%)

Irthing - 81 (22.15%)

Longtown and Rockliffe - 152 (20.31%)

Lyne - 72 (21.63%)

Morton - 250 (23.36%)

St Aidans - 232 (23.51%)

Stanwix Rural - 127 (12.98%)

Stanwix Urban - 95 (8.81%)

Upperby - 462 (32.2%)

Wetheral - 56 (7.2%)

Yewdale - 121 (11.62%)

Copeland: Number of children living in poverty, July-Sept 2017 - 3087 (percentage 23.12%)

Arlecdon - 37 (16.6%)

Beckermet - 108 (22.11%)

Bootle - 36 (20.81%)

Bransty - 114 (11.21%)

Cleator Moor North - 173 (21.47%)

Cleator Moor South - 159 (27.91%)

Distington - 206 (25.31%)

Egremont North - 287 (29.91%)

Egremont South - 90 (13.93%)

Ennerdale - 33 (21.39%)

Frizington - 115 (21.72%)

Gosforth - 3 (1.55%)

Harbour - 141 (26.91%)

Haverigg - 25 (12.56%)

Hensingham - 183 (20.65%)

Hillcrest - 6 (1.13%)

Holbourn Hill - 155 (26.45%)

Kells - 143 (29.11%)

Millom Without - 48 (23.18%)

Mirehouse - 331 (32.3%)

Moresby - 46 (17.48%)

Newtown - 183 (27.89%)

St Bees - 20 (6.59%)

Sandwith - 322 (47.37%)

Seascale - 83 (18.45%)

Eden: Number of children living in poverty, July-Sept 2017 - 1827 (percentage 19.08%)

Alston Moor - 114 (33.49%)

Appleby (Appleby) - 40 (19.86%)

Appleby (Bongate) - 83 (24.33%)

Askham - 52 (19.27%)

Brough - 38 (14.81%)

Crosby Ravensworth - 35 (14.21%)

Dacre - 32 (12.82%)

Eamont - 17 (7.74%)

Greystoke - 48 (21%)

Hartside - 34 (16%)

Hesket - 110 (18.57%)

Kirkby Stephen - 105 (22.56%)

Kirkby Thore - 84 (22.37%)

Kirkoswald - 32 (12.37%)

Langwathby - 52 (18.08%)

Lazonby - 41 (15.63%)

Long Marton - 59 (30.84%)

Morland - 49 (19.52%)

Orton with Tebay - 77 (28.54%)

Penrith Carleton - 9 (3.14%)

Penrith East - 140 (24.38%)

Penrith North - 89 (11.92%)

Penrith Pategill - 46 (18.8%)

Penrith South - 92 (19.92%)

Penrith West - 115 (17.13%)

Ravenstonedale - 31 (18.58%)

Shap - 35 (14.76%)

Skelton - 49 (19.19%)

Ullswater - 45 (21.86%)

Warcop - 61 (25.06%)

South Lakeland: Number of children living in poverty, July-Sept 2017 - 2754 (percentage 15.88%)

Ambleside and Grasmere - 98 (19.36%)

Arnside and Beetham - 39 (8.33%)

Broughton - 38 (11.65%)

Burneside - 53 (15.26%)

Burton and Holme - 87 (11.32%)

Cartmel and Grange West - 49 (18.86%)

Coniston and Crake Valley - 17 (8.49%)

Crooklands - 42 (10.31%)

Grange North - 50 (25.01%)

Grange South - 28 (12.76%)

Hawkshead - 32 (15.01%)

Holker - 63 (20.8%)

Kendal Castle - 36 (10.94%)

Kendal Far Cross - 123 (23.04%)

Kendal Fell - 69 (21.66%)

Kendal Heron Hill - 17 (5.3%)

Kendal Highgate - 56 (15.65%)

Kendal Kirkland - 158 (32.01%)

Kendal Mintsfeet - 70 (20.81%)

Kendal Nether - 42 (10.19%)

Kendal Oxenholme and Natland - 39 (9.95%)

Kendal Parks - 39 (8.51%)

Kendal Romney - 53 (12.53%)

Kendal Stonecross - 36 (9.69%)

Kendal Strickland - 69 (15.84%)

Kendal Underley - 118 (21.69%)

Levens - 50 (17.39%)

Low Furness - 35 (14.48%)

Lyth Valley - 53 (16.32%)

Mid Furness - 48 (7.37%)

Milnthorpe - 113 (24.55%)

Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale - 91 (10.05%)

Staveley-in-Cartmel - 51 (22.18%)

Staveley-in-Westmorland - 56 (16.95%)

Ulverston Central - 65 (18.46%)

Ulverston East - 169 (29.61%)

Ulverston North - 54 (14.69%)

Ulverston South - 50 (16.37%)

Ulverston Town - 68 (24.69%)

Ulverston West - 49 (18.25%)

Whinfell - 33 (8.81%)

Windermere Applethwaite and Troutbeck - 35 (14.76%)

Windermere Bowness North - 42 (11.38%)

Windermere Bowness South - 41 (11.52%)

Windermere Town - 92 (18.47%)