Child poverty strategy
The Government’s long awaited Child Poverty Strategy has now been published. This strategy is a welcome and long-awaited step forward in tackling the unacceptably high levels of child poverty in our country. Many of the announced policies are things The Children’s Society has longed called for – like scrapping the two-child limit and expanding free school meals. But does the strategy go far enough? Below we take a closer look at some of the key policies that will pull an estimated 550,000 children in the UK out of poverty by 2029.
Scrapping the 2-child limit
Scrapping the 2-child limit
The two-child limit stops families receiving means-tested support for third or subsequent children, costing families over £3,500 a year.
The Government’s announcement in the autumn budget to lift the two-child limit marks a watershed moment for children in the UK. This is the flagship policy of the strategy and will play a significant role in reducing the 4.5 million children living in poverty right now.
But families in deepest poverty will not feel the full effects of this unless the benefit cap is also removed. The benefit cap restricts how much a household can receive in social security benefits overall. Larger families, families with younger children and single-parent families are most likely to be affected – sadly without its removal, many of the poorest families won’t feel the full impacts of the 2-child limit being scrapped.
Increasing free school meals
Earlier this year, the government extended Free School Meals to all children in households receiving Universal Credit, increasing families’ income by around £500 a year per child.
The Children’s Society has long campaigned for Free School Meals to be available to all children in households receiving Universal Credit, given the vital role they play in allowing children to learn and enjoy school alongside their peers, free from hunger.
The strategy builds on this through the creation of free breakfast clubs in every primary school, giving children a stronger start to the school day and giving parents more affordable childcare choices.
Ending child poverty
Young people around you are going to school hungry, getting bullied for wearing an old uniform, or missing out on activities with friends. These young people have to work extra hard to stay happy, motivated and focused on the future. But being from a poor background shouldn’t hold a child back. We work so all families can afford to keep their children healthy, happy and hopeful, even when money is tight.
No Recourse to Public Funds
Thousands of children in the UK are living in poverty, cut off from accessing child benefit or other benefits simply because of their parents’ immigration status. Even British children or children born here can be affected, if their parents’ status says they have ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF).
The Children’s Society has proudly supported children in families with NRPF for over a decade, including securing Free School Meals for children in low-income NRPF households, and continues to call for NRPF not to be applied for families with children under 18.
The strategy has taken an important first step in recognising that vulnerable migrant children should receive the support they require, regardless of their or their parents’ immigration status. But beyond some improved data gathering through the Family Resources survey, there are few concrete measures to actually make a difference in the lives of the thousands of children in poverty excluded from mainstream support.
Targets, monitoring and accountability
Targets, monitoring and accountability
The government missed the opportunity in this strategy to declare an ambitious overall target to eradicate child poverty over the next two decades. We want to make sure these plans go beyond 2030, working for all children in poverty, including those who will remain so after these strategy’s measures.
Without legally binding targets, there is a risk the government will not be held accountable for achieving the aims announced today.
A step in the right direction
We very much welcome efforts by the Government to lift over half a million children out of poverty. Many of the measures, such as scrapping the two-child limit and expanding Free School Meals eligibility are much needed. However, what the strategy sadly did not include was a bold commitment to reduce child poverty overall, or a way to hold the government accountable for delivering this vital change. Work should now begin setting the path for a complete end to poverty in the UK.
The government have said that ‘Tackling child poverty is an investment in the future of those children’, but it is also an investment in their present. A happy, safe childhood, free from poverty, is not only important as a conduit to adult life, but a right in itself. We are thrilled to see the government prioritising child poverty – but we will be watching and working to make sure they deliver on these promises.
Author: Jack O'Neill, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing
