Comments on: How much money it takes to halve child poverty by 2010 http://www.antoniabance.org.uk/2008/03/25/how-much-money-it-takes-to-halve-child-poverty-by-2010/ Thoughts of Antonia, Labour activist and feminist in Oxford Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:00:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Antonia http://www.antoniabance.org.uk/2008/03/25/how-much-money-it-takes-to-halve-child-poverty-by-2010/#comment-340452 Antonia Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:27:15 +0000 http://www.antoniabance.org.uk/2008/03/25/how-much-money-it-takes-to-halve-child-poverty-by-2010/#comment-340452 I don't think it's a one-off cost - the level of spending on tax credits and benefits has to be kept at that level consistently, or child poverty will go backwards, towards 1999 baseline levels. It's the government's own fault that we're at a stage where only direct cash transfers will do it, cos they missed the 2005 quarterway target and started worrying about this one too late. The 2020 target is off the scale expensive if done only through cash transfers, so will have to be done through the government's preferred methods of increasing employment and targeting extra social/health/education spending at the poorest families. If those are successful, then spending on tax credits and benefits goes down. I don’t think it’s a one-off cost - the level of spending on tax credits and benefits has to be kept at that level consistently, or child poverty will go backwards, towards 1999 baseline levels.

It’s the government’s own fault that we’re at a stage where only direct cash transfers will do it, cos they missed the 2005 quarterway target and started worrying about this one too late. The 2020 target is off the scale expensive if done only through cash transfers, so will have to be done through the government’s preferred methods of increasing employment and targeting extra social/health/education spending at the poorest families. If those are successful, then spending on tax credits and benefits goes down.

]]> By: Tim Worstall http://www.antoniabance.org.uk/2008/03/25/how-much-money-it-takes-to-halve-child-poverty-by-2010/#comment-340421 Tim Worstall Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:06:59 +0000 http://www.antoniabance.org.uk/2008/03/25/how-much-money-it-takes-to-halve-child-poverty-by-2010/#comment-340421 A question (a serious one, not rhetorical). Is this a one off cost? Or an annual cost, from now for evermore? If it's the former then it's a pittance so why not? If it's he latter then it isn't so small. A question (a serious one, not rhetorical).

Is this a one off cost? Or an annual cost, from now for evermore?

If it’s the former then it’s a pittance so why not?

If it’s he latter then it isn’t so small.

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