Family Fund targets help to poorest families in Wales

Over a third of families helped by the Family Fund are living in the two most deprived areas in Wales according to a new report. 

The research maps the location of families raising disabled and seriously ill children, who received help from the Family Fund against the Wales Index of Multiple Deprivation and indicates a strong correlation between families with disabled children and child poverty.

Keith Towler, Children's Commissioner for Wales said:

"There remains a lot of scepticism and cynicism that child poverty exists in this country. This valuable research from Contact a Family and the Family Fund highlights that it's a problem that is real, it is raw and it is debilitating. For families with disabled children and young people, the struggles are great.  We need to be investing more in detailed research to realise the full extent of the problems if we're to succeed in curbing the trend of more families and their children sinking into poverty."

This is the first study that concentrates on data within the Welsh borders. The findings pose a number of key questions for Welsh Government policy, indicating the need for further, more detailed research into families with disabled children and childhood poverty.

Further information:

The research can be found on the Family Fund website

The Wales Index of Multiple Deprivation Index http://wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/headlines/compendia2009/1108311/?lang=en

Recent research on families with disabled children and child poverty can be found via University of Warwick http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/research_says_uk/