London, United Kingdom (AFP) — The number of children living in poverty in the UK reached a new record, according to data published Thursday, as the government faces a storm of criticism over plans to cut welfare payments.

Almost 4.5 million children were living in low-income households in the year ending March 2024, according to the Department of Work and Pensions — the highest number since records began in 2002-2003.

The figure rose from a previous record of 4.33 million in March 2023 to 4.45 million last year.

A household is considered to be in relative poverty if it lies below 60 percent of the median income, or below £337 ($435) per week.

The record figures come after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government announced cuts to disability welfare payments among other spending cuts.

According to the government’s own estimates, changes to the welfare system risk plunging 50,000 more children into poverty in the next five years.

Meanwhile, 21 percent of the population, or 14.25 million people, were in poverty as per the data, down slightly from the previous year.

While inflation has slowed significantly in the last two years, it had surged to more than 10 percent in 2022-2023 as energy and food prices skyrocketed following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The subsequent cost-of-living crisis continues to grip British households, with wages failing to keep up with rising prices.

Charity Save the Children described the latest data as “a source of national shame” and “direct consequence of political choices”.

Alison Garnham from the Child Poverty Action Group slammed the statistics as “a stark warning that government’s own commitment to reduce child poverty will crash and burn unless it takes urgent action”.

Garnham called on the government to remove a benefits limit on families with more than two children, and to reverse benefits cuts announced by finance minister Rachel Reeves on Wednesday.

Reeves has defended her plan to save £5 billion a year in disability benefits by pointing to other measures aimed at improving growth and stability.

She has also cited government moves to distribute free breakfasts in schools and increase the minimum wage starting April 1.