News and blogs

News

Open letter to Gavin Williamson on home learning

11 January 2021

Today we and Children North East have sent an open letter to the Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson MP, which lays out a set of guiding principles that we advise the government to use to make decisions about home education during this lockdown period.

2020: year in review video

08 January 2021

Watch our video featuring highlights from our work in 2020.

News UK

Remembering Professor Sir John Hills

23 December 2020

Professor Sir John Hills, who has died of cancer aged 65, seemed to embody the London School of Economics traditions - of Richard Titmuss, Peter Townsend, Brian Abel Smith and David Donnison - in a single person.

News UK

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Press releases

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200,000 more children pushed into poverty the year before the pandemic - ‘dismal data’ warning

25 March 2021

The publication of today’s annual poverty statistics for the year leading up to the pandemic (Households Below Average Income 2019- 2020) shows: 200,000 more children fell into relative poverty (after housing costs) in 2019-2020 – twice the increase in the previous year. That means 4.3 million children (31% of all UK children) are in poverty - up from 3.6 million in 2010-11.

Child poverty statistics Child poverty strategies Children’s benefits Press release UK

New survey: families lack digital tools for home learning and worry more about costs

17 March 2021

More than a third of low-income families are missing essential digital resources for future home learning; parents had to make ‘impossible choices’ to decide who got access to digital devices and bandwidth while schools were closed; concern about money is higher than last year among poorer families; 90% of low-income families spent more on bills with children at home in lockdown.

Cost of the school day Costs and spending Education Free school meals Press release UK

CPAG response to Budget 2021

03 March 2021

Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group Alison Garnham said: “Child poverty levels were already too high pre-pandemic yet children and parents were noticeable by their absence from this budget. Extending the £20 uplift is vital because struggling families cannot keep afloat without it, but that will be as true in six months as it is now. This decision only postpones the pain. The chancellor promised certainty to business – children and their families deserve no less.”

Benefit levels Coronavirus Press release UK Universal credit

Blogs

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Does the cap fit? Researching the benefit cap’s effect on paid work

30 March 2021

Official statistics released today show that the number of households subject to the benefit cap has increased again. 180,000 households were capped in November 2020, up from 170,000 in August 2020.

Benefit cap Blog Childcare Coronavirus UK Work and pay

We must start with poverty

25 March 2021

“Babies and children in England will get a better start in life”. That’s the kind of opening line we’d hope for in a cross-governmental child poverty strategy. We know that poverty affects children’s ability to thrive, that children growing up in poverty do less well in school, and that poorer children are more likely to have poorer mental and physical health. Tackling poverty therefore has to be at the heart of the government’s plans. However, this is the introduction to the government’s review into reducing inequalities in the first 1,001 days of life in England. And addressing poverty barely gets a look in.

Blog Child poverty statistics Child poverty strategies UK

How can we improve social security? Let’s start by listening to families

24 March 2021

While some of us are counting down the days until the next stage of unlocking, eager to go out for a meal or go shopping, for many families living on a low income there is no end in sight. As one parent explained, the end of restrictions would mean going “from a viral lockdown to a financial lockdown”.

Benefit cap Benefit delivery Benefit levels Blog Coronavirus UK Universal credit

Contact us

Child Poverty Action Group is a centre of expertise and campaigning on child poverty, welfare rights, and related issues such as fair pay, childcare, benefits and tax credits. Our spokespeople regularly feature on television, radio and in print media.

Contact

Journalists can contact our press officer, Jane Ahrends, or the out-of-hours duty contact on:

020 7812 5216 (office hours)

07816 909302 (24 hour)

email: [email protected]

Looking for a contact in Scotland? Visit our Scotland media page.

Press releases

CPAG regularly puts out press statements on the publication of its own policy and research, and in reaction to other events and news stories related to our work. See our press releases.

Expert information

CPAG can help journalists find information for child poverty related stories. See some key facts and figures.

We may also be able to arrange for you to speak with one of our policy or welfare rights experts for more detailed enquiries.

Case study advice

CPAG can provide advice to journalists on finding case studies, but is rarely able to directly provide case studies.

We encourage journalists in their use of case studies to show sensitivity towards parents who wish to protect their children from the stigma of being labelled as in ‘poverty’ and associated risks such as bullying.

End Child Poverty

CPAG is the host organisation for the campaign to End Child Poverty - a coalition of 150 organisations from civic society including children’s charities, child welfare organisations, social justice groups, faith groups, trade unions and others, united in our vision of a UK free of child poverty.

Our press officer also handles queries on behalf of End Child Poverty and we can provide End Child Poverty spokespeople. Visit the End Child Poverty website.