“This winter many children will go to bed wearing hats and coats” – Children’s Commissioners Comment on ‘Mini Budget’

Reacting to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘Mini Budget’ today, Koulla Yiasouma, NI Commissioner for Children and Young People joined with Rocio Cifuentes the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and Bruce Adamson the Children’s Commissioner for Scotland and said:

“Today in the UK, 3.9 million children are living in poverty.

 “This winter many of them will go to bed wearing hats and coats and will not know if they will be having breakfast in the morning. These 3.9 million children and their families need assistance immediately. Today’s announcements lay out a range of changes, some of which will benefit families, but from next Spring. We have seen little that will assist the poorest children and their families today and through the winter months.

 “It is government’s responsibility to safeguard children’s human rights; changes they must make include increasing the Universal Credit rate to reflect the reality of the cost of living crisis; scrapping the benefits cap, and removing the two-child limit on receiving payments which continues to be a breach of children’s human rights, punishing those most in need.”

 ENDS