A hard core of problem families is costing the British taxpayer £9 billion ($18 billion) a year, ministers claimed yesterday before the launch of an assault on those "locked in a cycle of state dependency".
Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, said public money had been squandered on schemes that fail to deal with the causes of social breakdown, which begins with truancy and worklessness but leads to gangs, crime, violence and children being taken into care.
This week Prime Minister David Cameron will unveil the latest attempt to tackle the deep-seated problems that blight parts of the country, mainly in inner-city areas. For the first time the Government will give a definition of a "troubled family", comprising seven factors, including having a low income, no one in the family working, having poor housing and parents having no qualifications.
The Government's Troubled Families Team, led by the former head of Tony Blair's Respect Task Force, Louise Casey, estimates that 120,000 families could be covered by the criteria. Casey was appointed last month to lead the Government's fightback after the summer riots.
Ministers say that £8 billion of the £9 billion is spent reacting to the troubles caused and experienced by these families.
