A British think tank has warned about the growing number of children in poverty across the UK, forecasting a rise of 1.2 million by the year 2030, amid government cuts and widening earnings gap.

The left-of-center think tank Fabian Society released a report on Wednesday, saying child poverty will rise by 47 percent in the next 15 years to 3.69 million if the government does not change its policy.

Andrew Harrop, the co-author of the report and the society’s general secretary, said the findings were “hard to stomach” as the number of people in poverty will rise and “many more families will find themselves unable to make ends meet.”

The study based on figures by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility blamed the Tory-led coalition government’s recent cuts to social security benefits and tax credits and an increasing earning gap for the growing number of children in poverty.

According to the society’s forecasts, the earnings of high-income households in the UK will rise 11 times faster than for low-income families over the next 15 years. This is while the real disposable income of British middle-income households will rise by nine percent. For low-income groups, the rise will be a mere two percent.

The think tank warned that the inequality would become even worse if the Conservatives remained in power after the May general elections, as it would allow the party to follow through with its commitments of an additional £12 billion of welfare cuts.

The report called for a change in government policy, including increasing the national minimum wage by 60 percent of median earnings by 2020 and for setting a target of an 80-percent employment rate. In addition, benefits, including child benefits and tax credits should be raised in line with the country’s earning rates.

“Full employment, action on low pay and a new Prosperity Fund to increase the generosity of benefits and tax credits, can together prevent the divide between the haves and the have-nots from becoming even deeper,” said Harrop.

The current UK Tory-led coalition government launched austerity measures when it came to power in 2010 in a bid to tackle the country’s mounting debt and sluggish growth. The cuts have severely hit the poorest households in the country, forcing many of them to choose between paying for food or energy.

CAH/HJL/HRB