FactWatch: Nicola Sturgeon's claim that the number of children living in the poverty in the UK is rising
The key quote
'Four million children living in poverty — it’s rising despite what the Prime Minister falsely said this morning'
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon
Analysis
There are different ways of measuring child poverty. According to the Social Metrics Commission there were 4.6 million children in relative poverty in 2017/18. Government figures show a similar number. Ms Sturgeon was presumably referring to Boris Johnson saying there are 400,000 fewer children in poverty than in 2010, which was wrong. After housing costs, the estimated number of children in absolute poverty has fallen from 3.8 million in 2009/10 to 3.7 million in 2017/18. But looking at most other measures the number has stayed the same or risen. On Sunday, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak said 400,000 fewer people are in absolute poverty today than in 2010. That’s correct looking at the estimated figure between 2009/10 and 2017/18 before housing costs.
Verdict
The different ways of measuring poverty can sometimes tell contradictory stories.
