Parents face a growing struggle as the cost of bringing up a child has risen to £148,000, research has found.
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said the cost of raising a child to the age of 18 has gone up by 4% over the last year.
But the value of benefits for families and children only rose by 1% and child benefit did not rise at all, tightening the squeeze on living standards.
At the same time minimum wages rose 1.8% and average earnings by 1.5%, making it harder for parents to provide a decent standard of living for their families.
Alison Garnham, CPAG chief executive, said: “This research paints a stark picture of families being squeezed by rising prices and stagnant wages, yet receiving ever-diminishing support from the Government over the course of the last year.”
The report, co-funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, found it cost about £160 a week to raise a child, including child care costs and housing.
The basic cost for a couple to raise a child over 18 years was £81,772 or £148,105 including rent, child care and council tax with those figures rising to £90,980 and £161,260 respectively for a lone parent.
Child care costs have risen sharply over the last 12 months, by 5.9%, yet the value of both child benefit and child tax credit relative to the costs of raising a child have decreased, the CPAG said.
Many low-income families have also seen cuts in housing support, such as the spare room subsidy, or bedroom tax, and many non-working families are now required to pay council tax.
The report also found that families on out-of-work benefits faced an even greater shortfall of income, with couples receiving only 58% of what they need to meet minimum costs, and lone parents getting 61%.
The CPAG also said the introduction of the universal credit system in October would bring mixed results, with couples and lone parents working full time on a minimum wage being left some way short of an acceptable living standard.
Ms Garnham called on the Government to “renew our national commitment” to children before the next election.
A Government spokesman said: “We know times are tough and we are securing a recovery for everyone who wants to work hard.
“That is why we are taking action to help families with the cost of living by cutting income tax for 25 million people, saving a typical taxpayer over £700, taking 2.7 million out of income tax altogether and freezing council tax for five years.
“Furthermore, our measures to fix the welfare system with the introduction of the universal credit will make three million households better off.”