More than 40,000 children in Sheffield living in poverty, new figures show

New analysis released by charity End Child Poverty show 30 per cent of children in the city are now living below the breadline.

The worst affected constituency in the city is Brightside and Hillsborough, where 40 per cent of children are growing up in poverty.

And the worst affected ward in Sheffield is City, where the figure is an unbelievable 50 per cent.

The regional Trades Union Congress say that cuts to in-work benefits have been a key driver behind the increase, but this has been made worse by weak wage growth and the spread of insecure work.

They are now calling for all political parties to pledge to raise the minimum wage to £10 an hour, stop and scrap Universal Credit, ban zero-hours contracts and give workers new rights to join unions and bargain for better pay and conditions.

TUC regional secretary, Bill Adams, said: “No child in our region should be growing up in poverty. But many parents are struggling to feed and clothe their kids.

“The Conservatives’ cuts to in-work benefits have come at a terrible human cost. As too has their failure to tackle insecure work and get wages rising across the economy.

“We need a government focused on helping working families, not wealthy donors and hedge funds.”

The figures for Sheffield’s other parliamentary seats and council wards reveal the city’s deep divides between its haves and have nots.

In Penistone and Stocksbridge, 3,798 or 22 per cent of children grow up in poverty, with the worst affected being Stocksbridge and Upper Don at 24 per cent.

In Sheffield Central, 10,882 or 37 per cent of children grow up in poverty with the worst affected ward being City at 50 per cent.

In Sheffield South East, 6,705 or 33 per cent of children grow up in poverty with the worst affected ward being Darnall at 47 per cent.

In Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, 12,146 or 40 per cent of children grow up in poverty with the worst affected ward being Burngreave at 48 per cent.

In Sheffield Hallam, 3,914 or 15 per cent of children grow up in poverty with the worst affected ward being Beauchief and Greenhill at 29 per cent.

And in Sheffield Heeley, 7,331 or 29 per cent of children grow up in poverty with the worst affected ward being Arbourthorne at 35 per cent.

Households are living in poverty if their household income is less than 60 per cent of the median and are calculated after housing costs have been taken into account.

In 2016 the Conservatives abolished the Child Poverty Act and scrapped targets to reduce poverty.