2 million children with working parents in poverty shows system is failing

A report released by the New Policy Institute and Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows that the number of children in low income households where at least one adult works is now 2.1 million - the highest number there has ever been.

Commenting on this, John Dickie, Acting Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said: "The idea that work is the best way out of poverty lies at the centre of current policies to eradicate poverty. Yet NPI's research shows that too often getting a job is not the solution it should be for parents and their children.

If the Government is to even come close to it's target of halving child poverty by 2010 then Alistair Darling must use the pre-budget report to boost benefits and tax credits for families in and out of work. But to meet the promise to eradicate child poverty by 2020 he must also include wider measures to tackle in-work poverty.

Flexible, accessible and affordable childcare and universal free school meals will reduce the costs of employment, while enabling people to work part-time without losing valuable support from benefits would reduce poverty traps in the benefits system.  Ensuring that employers pay reasonable wages should also be a priority.

If the government fails to make work pay we have no chance of ending child poverty."