Child Poverty Action Group works on behalf of the more than one in four children in the UK growing up in poverty. It doesn’t have to be like this. We work to understand what causes poverty, the impact it has on children’s lives, and how it can be prevented and solved – for good. 

Poverty is not inevitable. It is caused by low wages, inadequate benefits, expensive housing and childcare, and a lack of decently-paid jobs. Drawing on our 50 years of experience and expertise, we devise and promote solutions we know will lift children and families out of poverty.

Our vision is of a society free of child poverty, where all children can enjoy a childhood free of financial hardship and have an equal chance in life to reach their full potential.

We are the strong and trusted voice on child poverty. We collect evidence from families living in poverty, and push forward achievable and long-term solutions to this devastating situation. Any family can fall on hard times and find it difficult to make ends meet. Families need support during these times to ensure all children get the best start in life. We support families across the country by giving frontline workers practical help with the social security system so families can stay afloat. 

Sometimes families experience injustice. We take legal action to challenge unjust decisions so that families get support from our social security system in times of need. 

Read about our impact

Child Poverty Action Group is a registered charity that was set up in 1965. We have offices in London and Glasgow. CPAG has 47 members of staff. We are governed by a 12-member Board of Trustees.

Our objectives

1. End child poverty

Achieve all-party support for a comprehensive strategy to prevent and end child poverty across the UK

Specifically we will:

• Promote our blueprint for a UK child poverty strategy and campaign to make it a top public and all-party political priority.
• Incorporate the voices of ‘experts by experience’ into our work.
• Produce evidence-based, solutions-focused research and policy propositions.
• Deliver agenda-setting, communications and campaigns to highlight the causes of and solutions to child poverty, highlighting in-work poverty.

2. Secure futures for children and families

Achieve political support for a renewed vision for social security

Specifically we will:

• Develop our evidence-informed vision for social security reform, embedding CPAG principles and a rights-based perspective.
• Based on evidence, work to mitigate the harsh impact of the current system.
• Advance our campaigning objectives through strategic use of high profile legal test cases.
• Use our social security expertise to promote and protect the rights of children and families and to maximise family incomes across the UK.
• Develop our second-tier advice services and online welfare rights portal.

3. Sustain and build our sector leading products and services

Sustain and develop our high quality welfare rights content, training and membership by exploiting new technology in order to design new products, market effectively, grow income and gain new supporters

Specifically we will:

• Secure our income across the full range of our products and services.
• Deliver an effective sales and marketing strategy across all our products and services.
• Drive online developments across the organisation and in all our activities.
• Develop a content-based, curatorial approach to our products and website, communications and engagement.

4. Stay financially secure, maintain modern infrastructure and manage effectively

Stay positive, forward-looking, adaptable and capable, in an attractive work environment with well-managed staff and sufficient resources

Specifically we will:

• Deliver a financial surplus each year supported by sound financial management.
• Diversify our fundraised income to meet challenging targets and to increase unrestricted income, including growing and engaging our supporter base.
• Work with our Trustees to achieve the highest standards of governance in line with regulatory requirements.
• Attract, develop and support a capable, high quality, talented and diverse staff team to deliver our objectives, including due emphasis on safeguarding.
• Ensure we use the requisite technology, including excellent data management, GDPR compliance and communications.