New data released by the End Child Poverty Coalition has revealed that more than 4,500 children in Weston-super-Mare are living in poverty.

In some parts of the town, more than one in three children are growing up in a family living beneath the breadline.

As price rises risk pushing ever larger numbers of children below the poverty line, the coalition is calling on the Chancellor to end the freeze on children’s benefits – currently in place until the end of the decade – so that families no longer see living standards squeezed as prices rise.

The data from the coalition, which has been produced using information from the Labour Force Survey and Office for National Statistics, shows that, after housing costs, child poverty in Weston-super-Mare is particularly high. The three highest wards are:

– Weston-super-Mare South Ward (Bournville and Oldmixon area) – 43.29% of children in poverty
– Weston-super-Mare Central Ward (town centre area) – 32.87%
– Weston-super-Mare West Ward (hillside area) – 28.23%

These compare with the average level across North Somerset of 19.35%.

Councillor Mike Bell, Lib Dem Councillor for Weston Central Ward and chair of the Partnership Board at Weston Central Children’s Centre said: “Any child living in poverty is one too many. North Somerset, like the rest of Britain, is not an area that works for everyone. In every community, there are children being denied the happy childhoods and good start in life other children take for granted.

“Many families who are just about managing today, won’t be managing tomorrow when Government schemes like Universal Credit leaves them with fewer pounds in their pocket, and if rising costs of living thanks to cuts to council tax support by North Somerset Council mean their money doesn’t stretch as far as it used to.”

The full data on child poverty can be found here: http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/poverty-in-your-area-2018/