John Prescott will address the conference

The two organisations are hosting a conference on poverty to be addressed by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and Work and Pensions Secretary Alistair Darling.

The government has promised to eradicate child and pensioner poverty by the end of the next decade.

But the New Policy Institute and Fabian Society will warn that that goal will not be achieved unless current anti-poverty policies improve.

They are calling for strategies to improve work and pay for those at the bottom of the labour market and a better deal for those on low incomes from local authorities and public services.

But the government claims it has already lifted a million children out of poverty and is on target to help another million by the end of this parliament.