Alison Garnham
The vast majority of children live in poverty not because their parents are workshy, are drug or alcohol dependent, or can’t manage their children properly, as government rhetoric increasingly seems to suggest. They are poor because their parents don’t have an adequate income to make ends meet.
Work and worklessness:
It is wrong to say that poverty is caused by parents unwilling to work. The majority of children in poverty – 58% – have a working parent. These families are in working poverty because very often there is no alternative to low paid jobs, with few opportunities for progression. The lack of good, affordable childcare means that many families cannot afford to work more hours.
