1 week Ago
Shocking figures have revealed how many children are living in low income households on the Island - and many are living in temporary accommodation. Latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show a record number of children across the UK lived in households earning less than 60 per cent of the median income in 2022-23. Figures show 4,402 children on the Isle of Wight live in relative low-income households before housing costs, equivalent to 21.
2 per cent of under-18s. Meanwhile, separate figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show a record number of homeless children across England were living in temporary accommodation as of the end of March. The number of children housed in temporary accommodation such as hotels and bed and breakfasts has risen by 17 per cent since 2020, surpassing 150,000 and reaching the highest figure since records began in 2004.
This includes 389 children on the Isle of Wight. This means one in 63 children on the Island were living in temporary accommodation. The figures also show 46 households with children in the Isle of Wight were assessed as needing a prevention duty in the three months to March, with a further 16 assessed as needing a relief duty.
A prevention duty must be issued if the household has been threatened with homelessness and is eligible for local council support, while a relief duty is needed when the applicant is already homeless. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "This Government inherited a housing crisis which has left families stuck living in temporary accommodation, and we know this is having a knock-on effect of increasing pressure on council finances. "We have laid out clear plans in the short and long-term about how we will deliver our target of 1.
5 million homes. "We will prevent homelessness before it occurs by banning Section 21 evictions, and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. "We will also give councils more stability through multi-year funding settlements.
" We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate..
