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Today's Evening News 2008.06.11
Central News Agency
The UK is one of the world's eight major industrial nations, yet it has millions of elderly and children living below the poverty line. According to a new report released by the UK government today, the number of children and retired elderly living in poverty last year reached 5.4 million, and this number is even higher when rent or mortgage payments are factored in.
The report released by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that the number of children living in poverty last year increased by 100,000 compared to the previous year, marking the second consecutive year of increase. This makes it more difficult for the government to achieve its goal of halving the number of children in poverty by 2010.
In 1999, the number of children living in poverty in the UK was as high as 3.4 million. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a plan to halve the number of children in poverty by 2010 and to reduce it to zero by 2020.
The report also points out that the number of retired elderly living in poverty last year reached 2.25 million, an increase of 300,000 from the previous year. This is the first increase in the number of poor retired elderly since 1998, with nearly one in three elderly people struggling to make ends meet.
Anti-poverty groups have pointed out that while the UK is a wealthy nation globally, the increase in the number of poor children and elderly is "shameful." They are calling on the government to increase funding by £3 billion to improve the lives of the poor.
Jim Knight, Deputy Minister of the Department for Work and Pensions, stated that over the past decade, the government has made significant progress in reducing poverty and will continue to work hard to provide more opportunities for the poor. He admitted that the performance in this area over the past two years has indeed been less than ideal.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0504+132008061101238,00. html
Millions of UK Retirees and Children Live below Poverty Line
Central News Agency
The UK is one of the world's eight major industrial nations, yet it has millions of elderly and children living below the poverty line. According to a new report released by the UK government today, the number of children and retired elderly living in poverty last year reached 5.4 million, and this number is even higher when rent or mortgage payments are factored in.
The report released by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that the number of children living in poverty last year increased by 100,000 compared to the previous year, marking the second consecutive year of increase. This makes it more difficult for the government to achieve its goal of halving the number of children in poverty by 2010.
In 1999, the number of children living in poverty in the UK was as high as 3.4 million. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a plan to halve the number of children in poverty by 2010 and to reduce it to zero by 2020.
The report also points out that the number of retired elderly living in poverty last year reached 2.25 million, an increase of 300,000 from the previous year. This is the first increase in the number of poor retired elderly since 1998, with nearly one in three elderly people struggling to make ends meet.
Anti-poverty groups have pointed out that while the UK is a wealthy nation globally, the increase in the number of poor children and elderly is "shameful." They are calling on the government to increase funding by £3 billion to improve the lives of the poor.
Jim Knight, Deputy Minister of the Department for Work and Pensions, stated that over the past decade, the government has made significant progress in reducing poverty and will continue to work hard to provide more opportunities for the poor. He admitted that the performance in this area over the past two years has indeed been less than ideal.
Source: http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ 2……0504+132008061101238,00. html