Mayor Unveils Strategy to Address Child Poverty

The North East mayor has presented initiatives aimed at addressing child poverty, declaring that “enough is enough”. Kim McGuinness stated her intention to allocate financial resources towards after-school programs, assistance for job seekers, and reduced public transport costs. During her address at the inaugural Child Poverty Summit for the region, McGuinness indicated that a government funding package totaling £50m would be deployed to connect individuals facing employment obstacles due to health and disability with suitable job opportunities. Concurrently, the Labour-elected mayor prolonged the £1 fare limit for passengers aged 21 and below across buses, the Metro, and the Shields Ferry, extending it until next year, and expressed a desire for its continuation until 2028. “The North East has had the unwelcome tag of the highest child poverty rates for the past 25 years,” she informed attendees at the summit, held at the Beacon of Light in Sunderland. She added, “Now we say, ‘enough is enough’.” A government statement affirmed that local initiatives were “exactly what we need to drive up employment and drive down poverty”. The mayor’s constituency encompasses two million residents across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham. McGuinness further disclosed that the £50m investment designated for the employment programme received funding from the Department for Work and Pensions. This funding will also facilitate collaboration with employers to assist beneficiaries of the scheme in maintaining their employment. In parallel, the fare cap for youth transport will be financed through a £23.8m allocation from the £1bn bus improvement funding unveiled for England over the weekend. However, in contrast to certain other northern regions, McGuinness is not directing this transport funding towards extending the £2 fare cap for adult passengers, which the government previously stated last month would increase to £3 in 2025. The government has indicated that bus fares will be permitted to rise only in line with inflation, and the £3 bus fare cap is projected to generate savings of up to 80% on specific routes nationwide. A spokesperson mentioned that a dedicated taskforce is formulating an “ambitious strategy” to combat child poverty, concurrently expanding certain existing benefits with the aim to “give children the best start in life”. Further reporting was provided by Daniel Holland of the Local Democracy Reporting Service. For updates, follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.