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The End Child Poverty coalition

The End Child Poverty (ECP) coalition has produced a ten point "Ten for a million" charter which calls for political parties to commit to ten radical policies which would take a million children in the UK out of poverty by 2010.

The ten points are:

• Raise child benefit and pay an equal rate to all children, whether first born or not
• Extend child benefit to pregnant women
• Link the child element in tax credits and benefits to average incomes (or prices if they are rising more quickly)
• Ensure the National Minimum Wage provides a living wage
• Take action, including extending the ten year childcare strategy, to help groups facing multiple barriers to work, including minority ethnic groups, disabled parents and parents of disabled children
• Reform the social fund and provide grants for essential items and at times of key transition
• Reform education funding formulae at local and national level to give greater weighting to poor children
• Ensure poverty stops at the school gate by introducing School Uniform Grants and School Activity Funds.
• Ensure all children, regardless of immigration status, qualify for benefits and inclusion in mainstream services
• Poverty proof’ all policies across all government departments

Organisations supporting the charter

4Children, Addaction, ATD Fourth World, Barnardo’s, British Association for Adoption and Fostering, BVSC, Caritas, Centrepoint, Child Poverty Action Group, Childline, Children’s Links, Church Action on Poverty, Citizens Advice, Contact a Family, Coram Family, Council for Disabled Children, Daycare Trust, Disability Alliance, Family Rights Group, Family Service Units, Family Welfare Association, Fathers Direct, Frank Buttle Trust, Maternity Alliance, National Children’s Bureau, National Energy Action, National Youth Agency, NCH, New Policy Institute, National Family and Parenting Institute, NSPCC, One Parent Families, Oxfam, Parentline Plus, Poverty Alliance, Rainer, Refugee Council, RNID, Royal College of Nursing, Save the Children, Scope, Shelter, TELCO, The Children’s Society, UK Coalition Against Poverty, YWCA England & Wales.

What Disability Alliance says

‘Disability Alliance is particularly concerned about the lack of specific help for disabled parents. Through our work we are all too aware of the daily struggle they face in providing for their children. If the proposals in this charter were implemented the lives of these families could be transformed.’

Quote from Disability Alliance chief executive Lorna Reith.

More information

• campaigns page
• policy documents page
• end child poverty website
• view ten for a million charter (pdf)

Note: for pdf files you will need to download adobe acrobat reader. To convert the pdf to alternative formats or for more information on accessibility go to access adobe.

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