More than 500 children in the North-East will be hit by Government benefits cuts according to official figures.
Campaigners are fighting plans to axe some working tax credits, which they say will plunge 580 children from the North-East into poverty.
Banff and Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has 300 children in her ward at risk from the plans.
She said: “The only people who will be punished by this are children. Working tax credits help people working in essential but low-paid jobs provide for their families.
"The problem is this will punish families in work at a time when there are not enough extra hours available.”
Dr Whiteford said she would be opposing the plans to axe the benefits for households currently working between 16 and 24 hours a week.
She said: “The policy has not been properly thought through. Unemployment has been rising in the UK and is at record levels. A lot of people find themselves better off not working at all than working in their part-time job.”
"The problem is this will punish families in work at a time when there are not enough extra hours available.”
Dr Whiteford said she would be opposing the plans to axe the benefits for households currently working between 16 and 24 hours a week.
She said: “The policy has not been properly thought through. Unemployment has been rising in the UK and is at record levels. A lot of people find themselves better off not working at all than working in their part-time job.”
House of Commons library figures show 270 North-East households are set to lose £3,870 in six months from Aril this year if plans go ahead.
Charities have sent an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron and will meet with MPs today urging them to dump the plans.
Groups including Barnardo’s, child Poverty Action Group Citizens Advice and Carers UK have all signed up.
Child Poverty Action Group chief executive Alison Granham said hundreds of thousands of children across the UK were at risk unless the idea was shelved.
Child Poverty Action Group chief executive Alison Granham said hundreds of thousands of children across the UK were at risk unless the idea was shelved.
She said: “It would be reckless to carry on regardless with a policy that puts 470,000 children at risk of being plunged into poverty.
“The policy change was designed for an economy that has returned to growth with plenty of options for claimants to increase their hours of work."
"Unfortunately our economic recovery is not there yet. As the system will change in 18 months anyway, the sensible thing for government is to post-pone this change.”
"Unfortunately our economic recovery is not there yet. As the system will change in 18 months anyway, the sensible thing for government is to post-pone this change.”
Allister Thomas
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