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Government answers CSJ calls to rethink child poverty
Last week the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP announced that the Government will open a consultation about measuring child poverty, after years of narrow focus.

A new approach to poverty was advocated in the CSJ’s recent report, Rethinking Child Poverty. This called for recognition that income was only one dimension of being in poverty, and that any government strategy should focus on the root causes of poverty such as family breakdown and addiction.

CSJ Director, Christian Guy, said “Without a new approach to tackle poverty's root causes, we will continue to abandon many children. For example, we know there are 1.3 million children with an addicted parent yet on the technical measure some will not be in "poverty".

Read Christian’s article in The Guardian.

Wealthy and middle class benefits reviewed
Drawing on extensive work from the CSJ, The Sun last week launched a campaign to stop the payment of luxury benefits.

Grounded in the findings of the CSJ’s landmark review of older age poverty, Age of Opportunity, this calls on the Government to end unconditional payments, such as winter fuel payments, free TV licenses, bus passes and eye tests, for better off pensioners. The CSJ has argued that if further cuts are to be made to the welfare budget, these luxuries should be ‘on the table’.

Read analysis from Christian Guy in The Sun.
Listen to his discussion on BBC Radio 4’s Today.