23% of Southend’s children live in poverty
February 20, 2013 3 Comments
End Child Poverty has released data that is pretty damning (
http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/why-end-child-poverty/poverty-in-your-area
).
The data, released today, shows a fifth of children are living in poverty. The figures for Essex are shown in the following table.
| Estimated percentage of children in poverty | Estimated number of children in poverty | |
| Tendring | 26% | 7192 |
| Basildon | 24% | 9744 |
| Southend-on-Sea | 23% | 8840 |
| Harlow | 23% | 4621 |
| Thurrock | 22% | 8392 |
| Colchester | 18% | 6405 |
| Castle Point | 17% | 3129 |
| Epping Forest | 16% | 4358 |
| Braintree | 16% | 5242 |
| Chelmsford | 13% | 4706 |
| Maldon | 13% | 1744 |
| Rochford | 12% | 2046 |
| Brentwood | 11% | 1768 |
| Uttlesford | 9% | 1582 |
Southend-on-Sea is just above the national average of 20.2%, and I take no joy from reporting this. Quite frankly it is shameful that nearly a quarter of Southend’s kids live in poverty.
Some solace may be taken from looking at the worst local authorities for child poverty; Tower Hamlets tops this ignominious list with 42% in poverty. “It could be worse” whilst true cannot give much comfort.
It is worth repeating comments made by Enver Solomon, Chair of the End Child Poverty campaign:
“Local authorities are having to deal with reduced budgets but they have critical decisions to make. We’re calling on authorities to prioritise low income families in the decisions they make about local welfare spending, including spending on the new council tax benefit, and on protecting families hit by the bedroom tax. This week we have written to local authority leaders in the local authorities with the most child poverty, asking them what they will do to tackle child poverty in their local area.”
With the coming debate on the Southend-on-Sea Borough Council budget the above will be uppermost in my mind.
Try getting an apology from any of our local Tory councillors!…… They are probably proud of this achievement, it sort of fits in with DC’s concept of ‘big society’ one big society all in neat lines outside a food bank. Meanwhile those who still refuse to accept the is any such thing as a society remain wealthy and benefit greatly as a result of the suffering and the struggle of others. They also maintain the ability to blame to sorry sods in the queue at the food bank..
The Tory dream of an unequal social dichotomy..
sorry I have just read that back to myself and have noticed a few typos… A combination of being cross and having just finishing a late shift..
However you look at it, and whatever and whoever you see at fault, there is no getting away from the fact that Southend’s children are worse off than most in Essex.