One in nine children in York are living in poverty, new figures reveal

And a charity in the city said more needs to be done to stop the situation becoming the "norm".

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures show 3,537 children in York were living in relative poverty in the year ending April 2022. It meant 11.5 per cent of children in the area were in a family whose income was below 60 per cent of average household income and claimed child benefit and at least one other household benefit.

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Of these children, 2,630 were in absolute poverty as their family's income was lower than 60 per cent of the median income.

The figure for York was down from 12.9 per cent of children who were living in poverty in 2020/21, but up from 10.6 per cent in 2014/15 when the records began.

Isabel Taylor, analysis manager at The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said that more needed to be done to prevent this from becoming the norm.

She said: "What we are seeing in York is sadly what we’re seeing across the UK – child poverty has been rising. The £20-a-week uplift to Universal Credit has played a crucial role in reducing the number of children living in poverty but the Government’s decision to remove this in October 2021 is only going to push more children into poverty.

“Perhaps most worrying for families in York is that these statistics cover the period before inflation really took off and the cost-of-living crisis began to bite.

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“Poverty was already on the increase as we entered this crisis and despite the support provided by the Government over the last year the situation has continued to worsen for millions.

“We cannot allow this to become the norm. Benefit levels are so low that people cannot afford to buy food or heat their homes.”

The figures show 1 in 9 children in York are living in poverty (Image: Newsquest)

York Central MP, Rachael Maskell, said that no child or family should be left behind to struggle.

The MP said: "Families in York are really struggling - and as result children are living in poverty. A year on from this DWP data being published, we know that the number of people struggling has risen significantly with the cost-of-living crisis.

"Insufficient support from Government means children and their families are dependent on their communities to donate food and clothes, but the foodbanks are running low on food.

"As well as a comprehensive programme of free breakfasts and our aspiration in York to introduce free school meals, this Friday and Saturday, between 10am and 3pm, I am holding a 'York Food Drive' to restock the foodbanks and ensure that families are fed and to address the need."

A Government spokesperson said the latest figures “reflect the country coming out of the pandemic and accompanying rising prices” and that "record levels" of support have been provided through cost-of-living payments.