MORE than a quarter of children in Darlington and County Durham were living in poverty just before the coronavirus pandemic hit, figures reveal.

With child poverty hitting “devastatingly high” levels across the UK, charities are urging the Government to take action to prevent more families from falling into hardship when the crisis ends.

In Darlington, 5,209 children aged under 16 were living in families with low incomes in 2019-20, Department for Work and Pensions data shows – an estimated 26 per cent of all youngsters in the area.

That was up from 21 per cent the year before, and the largest proportion since comparable records began in 2014-15.

In County Durham, 23,454 children aged under 16 were living in families with low incomes in 2019-20, Department for Work and Pensions data shows – an estimated 26 per cent of all youngsters in the area.

That was up from 22 per cent the year before, and the largest proportion since comparable records began in 2014-15.

A family is defined as in low income if it earns less than 60 per cent of the national median household income before housing costs are considered.

Families are included in the figures if they have claimed child benefit alongside another means of support, such as Universal Credit, tax credits or housing benefit, at some point in the year.

They were among 127,800 under-16s in poverty across the North-East as a whole last year.

Different figures show that across the UK, a record 3.2 million children were living in relative poverty in 2019-20 – with the figure rising to 4.3 million after housing costs were taken into account.

Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at charity Action for Children: said: “The Government is in denial over child poverty which continues to rise and threatens to torpedo its flagship plans for levelling up.

“Experts have warned that child poverty will rise even further after the pandemic, with working families facing a double threat this coming winter to their living standards as unemployment peaks and Universal Credit is cut. Three-quarters of children in poverty live in working families.”

Mr Hussain said families with children have been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s vital the Government brings forward a credible plan to reduce poverty. It can start by making permanent the vital uplift in Universal Credit,” he added.

The Child Poverty Action Group, which is also calling for a boost to benefit payments, said the “dismal” figures show leaders need to take urgent action to address to the problem.

Chief executive Alison Garnham said: “Increasing child benefit by £10 per week would lift 450,000 children from poverty.

“One year from now we should not have to look at data showing even more children have fallen into poverty because of Government inaction.

“We badly need a cross-government strategy to end child poverty and increasing child benefit should be the first action point.”

Work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey said average household incomes saw their strongest annual growth for nearly 20 years in 2019-20, meaning families went into the pandemic on a “firm financial footing”.

“We have since increased our support with an unprecedented package of measures targeting those with the lowest incomes to help families through a difficult year,” she added.

“Our relentless focus as we build back better is on getting Britain back on its feet through our multi-billion-pound Plan For Jobs.”

Jessie Joe Jacobs, Labour candidate for Tees Valley Mayor said: "Across all the boroughs of the Tees Valley we’ve seen child poverty rise significantly over the past five years as a result of a decade of Tory austerity. 

"In Darlington it’s up by 8.2 per cent; in Middlesbrough it's up by 12.5 per cent! That's the highest in the country. That is shocking. And unacceptable. 

"We have a Government that tells us work is the way out of this, but that’s a real slap in the face for the working households who are doing their best to make ends meet but still falling through the cracks.

"Even before Covid we were losing jobs, had a declining economy, falling wages and rising child poverty. It’s all 'jobs tomorrow', but what about today? Our people and our communities can’t wait. Rather than warm words and snappy slogans, our people need real support.

"As Mayor I would work for positive change. I will work night and day to make sure no child goes hungry in the Tees Valley. That's why I'm in politics in the first place.

“No child should be living in poverty, and we need to see a real plan of action to tackle this shameful situation, to give our people hope and a way out of the poverty trap through real jobs.”