Child Poverty Act 2010
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to set targets relating to the eradication of child poverty, and to make other provision about child poverty |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2010 c. 9 |
| Introduced by | Stephen Timms and Lord McKenzie of Luton |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 25 March 2010 |
| Commencement | 25 March 2010 (all provisions except Part 2 and section 26) 25 May 2010 (part 2 and section 26) |
Status: Amended | |
| History of passage through Parliament | |
| [ Text of statute as originally enacted] | |
| Text of the Child Poverty Act 2010 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Child Poverty Act 2010 (c. 9) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom "to set targets relating to the eradication of child poverty, and to make other provision about child poverty". More specifically, the act has been summarised as comprising "a new set of legal duties for the [UK] government of the day to take action to meet four income targets for ending child poverty by 2020 and to minimise 'socio-economic disadvantage' for children."
The four income targets all related to median UK household income, and were as follows:
| Measure | Target |
|---|---|
| Relative low income | Less than 10% of children living in households with an income below 60% of the 2020 median |
| Combined low income and material deprivation | Less than 5% of children living in households with both (a) an income below 70% of the 2020 median, and (b) material deprivation (i.e. the inability to afford goods and activities typical in UK society) |
| Absolute low income | Less than 5% of children living in households with an income below 60% of the 2010 median |
| Persistent poverty | Less than 7% of children living in households with an income below 60% of the median in the given year for at least three out of a four-year period |