Child Poverty Act 2010

The Bill would provide a statutory basis to the commitment made by the Government in 1999 to eradicate child poverty by 2020. Its stated purpose is to give new impetus to the Government’s commitment, and to drive action across departments. It also aims to define success in eradicating child poverty and create a framework to monitor progress at a national and local level.

Key areas

• places a duty on the Secretary of State to meet four United Kingdom-wide poverty targets by the end of the financial year 2020
• requires the UK Government to publish a regular UK child poverty strategy
• requires the Scottish and Northern Irish Ministers to publish child poverty strategies
• establishes a Child Poverty Commission to provide advice
• requires the UK Government to publish annual progress reports
• places new duties on local authorities and other delivery partners in England to work together to tackle child poverty.