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The
British government’s squeeze on benefits is to force a further 100,000 children
from working families into poverty, ministers have admitted for the first time.
According
to official figures, a total of 200,000 children will be pushed into poverty as
a result of British Chancellor George Osborne’s plan to limit annual increases
in working-age benefits to 1 percent from April.
Moreover,
Liberal Democrat pensions minister Steve Webb disclosed that 50 percent of
those children come from families where at least one parent works.
The
new figures seem to undermine the Chancellor’s claims that his cap on benefits
is designed to target Britain's jobless "shirkers".
"The
Government wants to run away from the problem and ignore the fact that half the
children pushed into poverty as a result of the strivers' tax have parents who
are working hard while this Government makes life even more difficult for
them,” said shadow employment minister, Stephen Timms.
"Children
should not pay the price of this Government's economic failure,” he added.
The
cap on benefit handouts was approved by British MPs on January 8, despite a
move by some Labour and Liberal Democrats to block it.
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