IT’S a common mantra; the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer, but even Government figures reveal the depressing reality of the situation.

Food poverty is perhaps the best documented, but there is another worrying side to living in need.

Children from struggling families in York are failing to reach a required reading standard by the time they are 11-years-old.

That means they are struggling to keep up with classmates from affluent backgrounds and the charity Read On. Get On wants a focused effort to ensure they don’t fall even further behind.

We agree. Interventions can be made at all stages to help tackle poverty and everyone has a duty to help. Poorly educated young people can never be someone else’s problem.