Four million children living in poverty in the UK were effectively ignored by the Chancellor today.
The government had a real opportunity to help children currently suffering through the cost of living crisis as well as ensure a better future for children by scrapping the two-child limit, raising child benefit and funding universal free school meals. Instead, this is a budget that tried hard to sound positive for families by focusing on childcare without explaining exactly how nursery operators can afford to deliver 30hrs of free childcare. With many having already gone out of business because they couldn’t make the finances work delivering 15hrs, the Chancelllors pledges just don’t add up.
This budget also marks a worrying return to the cruel policy stick of “sanctions” regarding the 2m job seekers on Universal Credit who don’t take what the Chancellor called “appropriate” work. It’s well documented that unfair and inappropriately applied sanctions have caused untold misery for families, so like much of this budget and government policies, the fine-print of how this will be applied and to whom is critical.
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