The annual HBAI (Household Below Average Income) were released on 27 March which indicate that child poverty on a UK level has increased (to year 2005/6). This was released alongside the DWP report 'Working for Children' outlining how the UK government intend to tackle poverty through employment.

In 2005-6 3.8m children were in poverty - in homes on less than 60% of average income including housing costs.

In the previous year the number of children living in relative poverty with housing costs taken into account was 3.6m. With housing costs not deducted from incomes the number of children living below the relative poverty line was 2.8m, up from 2.7m in the year before. The increases are the first recorded in six years; since 1998/99, 600,000 children have been lifted out of relative poverty.

See the HBAI page on the DWP website and the Child Poverty Action Group press release on the right hand side of the page.