Mums hit in benefit shake-up

91,600 parents and 141,064 children area at risk of losing up to £68 in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to research by the charity Save The Children.

The childrens charity claims that poorer working mums trying to earn more for their children by working longer hours will be hit hard by the new Universal Credit, despite government pledges to make work pay

There are 3.5 million children living in poverty in the UK, one of the highest figures in Europe. The majority of these children come from working households, while evidence from overseas shows that supporting mothers in work drives down child poverty.

Female unemployment has recently topped 96,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber, while mothers already struggling to support their children have suffered cuts to childcare support, child benefit and tax credits.