In response to the publication of the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy, Anita Tiessen, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF UK said:

‘The child poverty strategy published today falls far short of what is needed in order to help the 3.5 million children living in poverty in the UK. The Government’s failure to produce an action plan, with year-on-year targets addressing income poverty, means even more children are at risk of being left behind.

 ‘If the Government wants to increase social mobility it must reduce inequality between children in the UK, which is among the highest in developed countries. UNICEF’s report, The Children Left Behind, has clearly demonstrated that income inequality is the key factor in holding poor children back in the UK. The Government urgently needs to clarify the financial resources it will use to address this. Children cannot be kept waiting any longer.’

Notes to Editor

For further information please contact:

Alicia Jones
Media Officer, UNICEF UK
0207 375 6117
aliciaj@unicef.org.uk

Press Line 0207 375 6030

Interview Opportunities

UNICEF UK Deputy Executive Director Anita Tiessen 

About UNICEF’s Report Card 9: ‘The Children Left Behind’

Report Card 9, ‘Children Left Behind’, uses a new method of measuring how far the most disadvantaged children have been allowed to fall behind those at the median level in health, educational and material well-being. The report then ranks all 24 countries according to the size of this gap. Download a copy of the report here: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Latest/Publications/The-children-left-behind-Innocenti-Report-Card-9/ 

About UNICEF 

UNICEF UK is a registered charity raising funds and awareness to support UNICEF's work to protect child rights worldwide, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). We raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign for the fulfilment of child rights in the UK and abroad. We are not funded by the UN budget. UNICEF UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and local communities in the UK.

 For more information, please visit www.unicef.org.uk.