7 Shocking Child Poverty Facts You Need To Know

Shocking Facts About Child Poverty You Need To Know
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Iain Duncan Smith, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, delivers his speech in the Main Hall of Manchester Central on the third day, and penultimate day, of the Conservative Party Conference on October 1, 2013 in Manchester, England. David Cameron has unveiled a Government pilot scheme for GP surgeries to open from 8am until 8pm seven days, backed by 50 million GBP of funding. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Oli Scarff via Getty Images

Iain Duncan Smith is speeding ahead with plans to redefine how child poverty is measured in Britain in response to a wave of criticism of his welfare reforms, which drew accusations from critics that he trying to "shift the goalposts".

A child is currently deemed to be living in poverty if part of a family that has less than 60% of median household income, but under new plans first mooted in 2012, the work and pensions secretary will take into account other factors like whether members of the family are in work or how many of them are drug addicts or alcoholics.

Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said: “Changing the definition of poverty won’t do anything to help the children whose lives are being damaged by the rise in poverty we are seeing under this Government.”

Here are the seven sobering facts you need to know about the state of child poverty in Britain.