Almost one in five West Norfolk children are living in poverty, according to a new report published this week.
The report by the Campaign to End Child Poverty found that 19 per cent of children in the borough were living in poverty.
The campaign defines child poverty as a situation where children are living in families either receiving out-of-work (means tested) benefits or in-work tax credits where reported income is less than 60 per cent of median income (£26,500), before housing costs.
They say both the government and local councils need to do more to reduce deprivation.
A spokesman said: “There are still far too many children whose parents are struggling and who are missing out on the essentials of a decent childhood. Many more children are set to become trapped in long-term poverty and disadvantage.”
West Norfolk Council leader Nick Daubney said: “It’s a worrying statistic. It ought to be much lower. We need to keep working hard to increase opportunities for children and young people and to lift people out of the poverty trap.”
He said the authority was trying to do what it could while the West Norfolk Partnership is working with families in need.
The statistics revealed that poverty levels were slightly higher in the North West Norfolk parliamentary constituency.
North West Norfolk MP Henry Bellingham said: “There are about 1,800 people unemployed in the constituency. We need to get that figure down,” he said.
South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss said the drive by local schools to encourage pupil aspiration and an increase in job opportunities were working.
She said: “Our welfare reforms will improve the lives of some of the poorest families with the Universal Credit simplifying the complex myriad of benefits and making three million people better off.”
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