Child poverty growth in Hertfordshire lowest in Welwyn Hatfield

Welwyn Hatfield saw a 12 per cent rise in relative child poverty (before housing costs) since 2014/15, the lowest rise in Hertfordshire over that period of time.

Relative child poverty is defined as when a child is living in a household with an income below 60 per cent of the median in that year - which for 2020 would be any figure lower than £18,480.

Between 2015 and 2020, the figures in Welwyn Hatfield grew from 2,754 to 3,088- a rise of 12 per cent, the lowest in Hertfordshire and fourth lowest in the East of England.

The highest growth over the same time period for Hertfordshire was Watford and Stevenage at 22 per cent.

Ipswich topped the chart for the East of England with a 39 per cent increase.

Across the country 3.2 million children were in relative low income BHC (23 per cent of children), an increase from the year before.

A spokesperson for Welwyn Hatfield Council said: "We are committed to improving the lives of our most vulnerable families to help give children the best possible start in life.

“We work through the Community Inclusion Partnership – a network of voluntary and statutory organisations – to share information and good practice about services available to people who are socially excluded. Through the partnership, we spent over £14k last year to support its member organisations, including local food banks to help tackle food poverty.

“The council also provides a wide range of financial support for families on lower incomes. This includes commissioning Citizens Advice services to deliver one-to-one financial health checks and guidance sessions.

"Most recently we launched the Fit, Fed and Read programme in partnership with Herts Sports Partnership. This provides support with literacy, physical activity and a nutritious meal every day, free of charge, during the school holidays for children in our most deprived areas.”