The government has just released its annual report on households living on below average income, and it is shocking. Fourteen million are living in poverty. Of these, more than four million are children, the highest rate on record. Nearly three quarters of them have a parent in work.

Under this government, the number of people who are on benefits and in work has overtaken the number of people who are on benefits and out of work. Those jobs are insecure, low-paid and often part-time. Childcare is expensive or not available. Transport costs have soared, services have been cut. Rents and mortgages are sky-high.

The government freeze on housing benefit and tax credits is pushing more and more families into poverty. Our MPs urgently need to end the freeze on social security. We need rent controls too. We need investment in business and in skills. Can we afford it? We're the sixth richest nation. We seem to be able to afford tax breaks for some when it suits.

Something doesn’t add up when the Government boasts about record numbers of people in work and increased earnings. Something doesn’t add up when our children are going hungry. Something doesn’t add up when parents and grandparents have to go without food so that their children can eat.

We can’t stand by while record numbers of families are struggling to make ends meet. Three in four children in poverty have a working parent. Please write to Richard Drax MP and ask him to act now to end child poverty: richard.drax.mp@parliament.uk .

Lucy Hamilton

Portland Road

Wyke Regis