In brief

Child poverty targets will be missed: By 2020, 3.5 million children in Britain (21%) will be living in absolute poverty (defined as households with less than 60% of median income for 2010-11, adjusted for inflation). This is more than four times the 5% target set under the Child Poverty Act 2010, the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission said in a report that was highly critical of government inaction.1 To reach the targets set out in the act would require nearly 100% parental employment rates, which …