'Children’s benefits should be kept in same way as pensions'

Today the Prime Minister will say his government has a “One Nation Mission to improve life chances for all”. He will refer to existing plans to expand the Troubled Families initiative, raising the minimum wage and increasing the personal tax threshold.

The government is also due to release figures later this week which are expected to show child poverty levels increasing. Leading charities claim that the changes to benefits and tax credits since 2013 are to blame to the rise.

Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, told Today: "Children’s benefits should be kept in the same way as pensions are... A lot of these factors are structural and about our economy."

Dr Samantha Callan, associate director at Centre for Social Justice and former adviser on family policy to David Cameron, said: "We need the welfare system to mimic the world of work."