One in nine children in the Maldon district were living in poverty last year, new figures show.

Government figures reveal 1,260 children aged under 16 were living in relative poverty in the year to March 2023.

It meant just almost 11.5 per cent of children in the area were in a family whose income was below 60 per cent of average household income before housing costs. Those families also claimed child benefit and at least one other household benefit.

This was down from just over 12.5 per cent the year before and much lower than the UK rate of 20 per cent.

Of all the children facing poverty in the district, 326 were below school age.

Children’s charity Barnardo’s said more needs to be done to reduce poverty.

Chief exec Lynn Perry said: “Living in poverty means children miss out on opportunities and the activities that make childhood fun and support their development.

“The Government needs to urgently focus on reducing child poverty.

“That should start with a strategy for ending child poverty, including ending the two-child limit ‘sibling penalty’ on benefit payments and ensuring struggling families can afford essentials like food and household bills.”

Across the UK, there were 2.5 million children living in low-income families before housing costs.

And the number hit a record high and was nearly double after housing costs were considered, with 4.3 million children in relative poverty.

Children’s commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza said she was “horrified” by the figures and called for welfare reform.

She said: “We need to go much further, faster to support these families because no child should grow up in poverty in the sixth richest country in the world.”

Overall, there were 166,146 children living in poverty across the East of England last year - almost 14 per cent.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride said: “I know the last few years have been tough, with the aftershocks of Covid and the war of Ukraine driving up inflation and cost of living pressures.

“That’s exactly why we stepped in with the biggest cost of living package in Europe, worth an average of £3,800 per household, and this unprecedented support prevented 1.3 million people from falling into poverty in 2022-23.

“We’re also going further in April, by uprating benefits and pensions to support millions of people on the lowest incomes and extending the Household Support Fund to provide vital support for those most in need.”