MORE than 11,000 children in Kirklees are living in poverty.
Out of the 83,700 children aged up to 16 in the area, 11,071 are classed as being below the poverty line.
This number is based on how many children claim free school meals and clothing allowances.
Simon Cale, chief executive of Huddersfield-based charity the National Children's Centre, said: "This is one of the common ways of measuring poverty, as people in poverty are usually seeking some form of assistance."
Another way of measuring poverty is by assessing incomes.
The End Child Poverty Coalition - made up of 75 charities - has found that three in every 10 children in Yorkshire are living in poverty.
The coalition's director, Jonathan Stearn, said: "It is appalling that in Britain in 2005 there are children whose parents cannot afford even basic necessities, such as a warm winter coat and three meals a day."
The coalition's figures come from the Department of Work and Pensions, which says someone is in poverty if they live on less than 60% of the average British person's income.
For a lone parent with two children on benefits, this would mean living on £175 a week.
The coalition found that in Huddersfield, the highest number of people surviving on bene- fits are in Deighton, Newsome and Crosland Moor.
In Deighton, 39.2% of households are claiming, in Newsome 31.4% of families are receiving benefits and in Crosland Moor the figure is 28.6%.
But coalition spokeswoman Laura Payne said not all child poverty was concentrated in deprived areas.
She said: "It is important to remember that much of the poverty in the UK is hidden.
"Nearly half the children living in poverty are outside the most deprived areas."
Mr Cale agreed. He said: "Deighton and Fartown are some of the highest areas of deprivation. The Government targets these areas with cash.
"However, we have found that Government measures don't always pick up small pockets of deprivation in rural areas."
Mr Cale said he felt the Government had made good progress in its bid to eradicate child poverty by 2020 through tax and benefit reforms.
But he feels there is more to be done.
He said: "The measures the Government have put in place have made a significant impact. We are seeing fewer people who are heavily deprived.
"However, if a family is just on the brink of poverty there is very little cash that goes towards supporting them."
He said he hoped that in future the emphasis would be on preventing people slipping into poverty.
In the meantime, the National Children's Centre is providing furniture, children's equipment and other support to families in need.
To find out if the NCC could help, phone 01484 519988.
Today the End Child Poverty Coalition is holding an exhibition about child poverty in upmarket shopping area the Victoria Quarter in Leeds.
The event is to publicise the coalition's campaign for the Government to agree to 10 new plans to speed up the eradication of child poverty.
To find out more, phone the coalition on 020 7843 1917.
