Child poverty levels high in some parts of Kent

See breakdown of child poverty levels by district

Child poverty in Kent is at shocking levels with almost half of children in the poorest wards living in deprivation.

A study by the Campaign to End Child Poverty found the overall level of child poverty – measured as £12 or less per family member per day – was above 20 per cent in the county’s poorest districts – one in five youngsters.

The worst areas were Thanet, where a quarter of children were living in poverty in 2011, and Swale, with 22 per cent.

But broken down into wards, the findings were even more worrying. In the Newington ward in Ramsgate, some 45 per cent were living in child poverty and Margate central 44 per cent.

In Sheerness West, levels were at a staggering 43 per cent.

In the report, the poverty line was outlined as when, after housing costs, all the household bills and family’s spending needs were met by around £12 or less per family member per day.

“For many families, especially those reliant on out of work benefits, it can be substantially less,” the report stated.

“Parents will often try and shield their children from some of the impacts of financial hardship and the stigma of ‘poverty’.

“Sometimes parents will make sacrifices, such as skipping meals, so that they can send their child off to school with a warm coat, or out to play in the same popular brand of trainers that their friends have.

“They do not want their children to feel excluded or become bullied. But behind the doors of the home, the hardship is often far more visible and many are deeply trapped in debt.”

Thanet was highlighted as having the third highest child poverty rate in the south east with six wards having levels of 30 per cent and above.

Thanet Citizens Advice Bureau manager, Ian Driver, who is a Labour councillor on the district council, said “Thanet is one of the most deprived areas of England with Dickensian levels of hardship and poverty.

“However we are not going to sit back and let the lives of our young people be blighted by poverty.

“We have applied to the BBC charity Children in Need for £80,000 funding to help us work with young people living in most deprived parts of the island.

“If we are successful, we will use this funding to work with children’s centres, secondary schools and Thanet College to deliver money management training to young people so that they can live independently, make limited budgets go further and avoid getting in debt.

“We will also work with young parents to ensure that their income is maximised and any debts managed and reduced.”

Mr Driver said while he realised times were tough for many people in Britain he stressed that Thanet had unique problems.

“I think the Government should step in and make a significant investment to promote more jobs and training,” he said.

“Extending the Pfizer Enterprise Zone to cover Thanet would be a big shot arm for the local economy. This would be a major step towards reducing poverty.”

Swale also saw shocking levels, with four wards having rates of 30 per cent or above.

A spokesman at the borough council said there was a catalogue of work being carried out to tackle the problem.

He also stated that the Vestas wind turbine manufacturing proposals could see the creation of 2,000 jobs. A planning application is expected shortly.

“Jobs, learning and skills are the main focuses for the council, showing that Swale is open for business,” he said.

“The applications for large supermarkets and associated retail in Sittingbourne will also assist, so bringing jobs to the borough and giving people across Swale the opportunities to get good employment are key to tackling this.

“There are a raft of measures and future opportunities that will address this child poverty and the council will do all it can to tackle this issue.”

Alison Garnham, executive director of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, said the findings of the charity’s report painted a stark picture of a “socially segregated Britain” where the life chances of millions of children were being damaged by poverty.

She called on the Prime Minister to keep his pledge to make British poverty history.

“Child poverty costs us billions picking up the pieces of damaged lives and unrealised potential, so it’s a false economy if we don’t prioritise looking after children today.

“The Government urgently needs a serious plan to stop the rise in unemployment and to create jobs so that young people and parents can get out of the dole queue and into the workplace.”

Child poverty by local authority:

Council: Children in child poverty in 2011 (%)

Ashford 15%

Canterbury 16%

Dartford 16%

Dover 19%

Gravesham 19%

Maidstone 13%

Medway 19%

Sevenoaks 11%

Shepway 19%

Swale 22%

Thanet 25%

Tonbridge and Malling 11%

Tunbridge Wells 11%