The number of UK children living in "severe poverty" has increased dramatically, even before the recession, and is likely to rise further, according to a Save the Children report.
Measuring Severe Child Poverty in the UK found that 4 million UK children live in poverty, while 1.7 million - a depressing 13% of all UK children - currently live in "severe and persistent" poverty, up from 11% in 2004/05.
The report found that over 1.5 million children in England, 96,000 in Wales, 95,000 in Scotland and 43,000 in Northern Ireland, live in families earning 50% below the average UK income. London children account for a fifth (300,000) of all UK children living in severe poverty.
White British children account for 70% of children living in severe poverty, although Pakistani, Bangladeshi and black African children were found to be around three times more likely to be in severe poverty than white children.
Fergus Drake, Save the Children's director of UK programmes, said: "It's shocking that at a time when the UK was experiencing unprecedented levels of wealth the number of children living in severe poverty - we're talking about children going without a winter coat, a bed and other day-to-day essentials - actually increased.
"Measures introduced by the Government in the last two years have managed to prevent the numbers spiralling even higher but with unemployment expected to rise there is now a danger that severe child poverty will increase even further."
Drake called for support on a "radically bigger scale" to help those living in severe poverty get back into work. "Without that focus the Government will continue to tread water on tackling the unacceptably high numbers of children whose lives are being destroyed by poverty."
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