Wilts Council Plans for Reducing Child Poverty

Wiltshire Council is joining the national drive to put a stop to child poverty by 2020.

It has published a draft Reducing Child Poverty Strategy which

sets out how the council and its partners will aim to reduce child

poverty locally over the next three years.

That strategy is now out for public consultation and residents are invited to give their views.

Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, Cllr Keith Humphries, also a  Warminster Town Councillor,  added:

"Children who grow up in poverty face a greater risk of having poor

health and being exposed to crime."

Children are said to be living in relative income poverty if their

household’s income is less than 60 percent of the national average.

This means 11 percent of children aged 19 or under in Wiltshire are

living in poverty – compared to 15.8 percent in the south west and 12.9

percent in comparable areas.

The recession is having an impact on local child poverty. An estimated 2,900 people lost their jobs in

Wiltshire between 2007 and 2009. The economic downturn has also

resulted in reduced hours and pay freezes for many others.

You can read the full draft strategy at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/reducingchildpovertyconsultation and submit your views online. The consultation deadline is April 4.

The draft strategy will also be discussed at forthcoming area board meetings.  The next Area Board Meeting for Warminster is on Thursday 10th March at Christ Church Hall, starting at 7pm.