It comes as the government’s own data yesterday revealed that the number of children living in poverty across the UK has hit a record high

A chart shows how badly the Tories have let down some of the poorest children in the country, with child poverty rising six times faster in the most deprived areas compared to the richest.

It comes as the government’s own data yesterday revealed that the number of children living in poverty across the UK has hit a record high. There are now 4.3 million children growing up in poverty in the UK, according to data released by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Now a chart produced by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) shows how child poverty has risen six times faster since 2014/15 in the most deprived areas compared to the richest.

The NEF states: “The 19 of the 20 local authorities in the UK that saw the highest increase in child poverty were in the North West, East Midlands, and West Midlands. In the West Midlands, an additional 10% of children now live in poverty compared to 2015 (19% versus 28%). In the North West and East Midlands, this was 9%.”

Sam Tims, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation, said: “No child should have to grow up worrying about where their next meal is coming from or whether their parents can afford to pay the bills – but that’s the reality for millions in this country. We should be making progress on reducing the number of children in poverty, instead this country is going backwards – with the poorest places taking the biggest hit.

“This is also clear evidence that the government’s levelling-up agenda is failing. What we are seeing is a deepening of poverty in the very places that the government was supposed to lift up. The government could take millions of children out of poverty and help those in the most deprived places by scrapping the two-child limit and increasing universal credit.”

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