CHILD poverty on the Isle of Wight has risen — and is among the highest rates in the South of England.

There were 6,808 children in child poverty on the Island in 2014/15, and the latest figures show the amount at 7,215, for 2018/19.

This is 32.7 per cent of children. The UK average is 30 per cent.

A new way of calculating child poverty now takes into account, for the first time, housing costs.

The new data, produced by the End Child Poverty coalition, shows the situation was a lot worse going into the pandemic than was originally thought.

Buttle UK, which gives grants and support to children in need, has joined forces with the National Lottery Community Fund to launch a £5million emergency fund to help the families affected.

Even before the pandemic struck, more than half of the children living in some parts of the country were living in poverty after housing costs were factored in.

The Isle of Wight is sixth highest in the South for child poverty figures, behind Hastings, Thanet, Southampton, Dover and Portsmouth.