New measures to tackle child poverty are to be unveiled by the government.
But plans to scrap the existing definition, which focuses on the income of households, have been put on hold, Iain Duncan Smith has suggested.
In a Guardian article with Chancellor George Osborne, the work and pensions secretary said it was important "we take the time to get it right".
Labour says child poverty has risen in recent years. PM David Cameron says it has fallen under a range of measures.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Cameron said there were 500,000 fewer children in poverty than in 2009.
'Simplistic analysis'One of the key aims of the strategy will be to stop poor children growing up to be poor adults.
The government is likely to announce a new focus on getting parents into work and improving the educational performance of children from the poorest backgrounds.
Some details of the draft measures to be put forward by Mr Duncan Smith and schools minister David Laws were reported by the Observer on Sunday.
"Start Quote
End Quote Iain Duncan Smith and George OsborneThe right analysis, the right data, and the right measures will allow us to deliver a really meaningful reduction in child poverty"
They include reducing the typical energy bill by £50 and extending the warm home discount, reducing water bills for low-income families, lowering food bills through vouchers and extending the free school meals programme.
A child is currently considered to be living in relative poverty if they are in a household whose income is below 60% of average earnings.
Mr Duncan Smith has long argued that measure is too simplistic, as some families might appear to have become less poor if average incomes fall, and he had been expected to propose a broader definition.
It was thought he would argue that whether parents were in work or had drug or alcohol problems should also matter, as should ensuring children got a good education.
Mr Duncan Smith and Mr Osborne, writing in the Guardian, said the Tories were still "committed to introducing better measures of child poverty - measures that drive the right action to bring about a real change in children's lives now and in the future".
They said that, under Labour, "the wrong measures based on inadequate data and simplistic analysis drive misguided and ineffective policy".
But, acknowledging they would not be pushing forward with a change in definition at this stage, they said: "This is such an important issue - it is vitally important that we take the time to get it right.
"The right analysis, the right data, and the right measures will allow us to deliver a really meaningful reduction in child poverty."
BBC social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan said Liberal Democrats were claiming the Treasury had blocked the introduction of new targets.
"The Lib Dems are understood to be sympathetic to some of Mr Duncan Smith's arguments but blame the Treasury for blocking attempts to introduce new targets to supplement the income threshold which was devised by Labour," he said.
'Fix leak'Save the Children's William Higham said: "With child poverty predicted to rise by a million by 2020, more children will be growing up without the basics we expect, like a warm home and a winter coat."
"Start Quote
End Quote Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel ReevesChanging the definition of poverty won't do anything to help the children whose lives are being damaged by the rise in poverty we are seeing under this government"
He added: "The proposed government action on energy prices and insurance will make a difference - but we can't just bail out families, we need to fix the leak.
"Work needs to become a route out of poverty and we must intervene early to help the poorest families and make sure their children don't fall behind at school."
Government figures on poverty, released in June, show the median UK household income for 2011/2012 was £427 a week - 60% of that figure was £256 a week.
In that year, 17% of children, or 2.3 million, were classed as being in poverty while 15% of working-age adults, or 5.6 million, were in poverty.
But Labour said 400,000 more children were set to be living in poverty in 2015, compared with five years earlier.
"Changing the definition of poverty won't do anything to help the children whose lives are being damaged by the rise in poverty we are seeing under this government," said shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves.
Are you struggling on a low income with a family to support? What is the best way to tackle child poverty? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Child poverty' in the subject heading and including your contact details.
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