Child poverty rises - warning of worse to come on this government’s watch

• charity concerned child poverty strategy will ‘crash and burn’ without action 

Child poverty has reached a new record high with 4.5 million children falling below the poverty line in the year to April 2024, today’s DWP statistics show. This is an increase of 100,000 from the previous year. 

But new analysis from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows child poverty will rise even higher on this government’s watch - to 4.8m by the end of this parliament (2029/30) - unless it takes urgent action including scrapping the two-child limit in its forthcoming child poverty strategy and stepping back from benefit cuts.  

Responding to today’s DWP statistics, Chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group and vice Chair of End Child Poverty Alison Garnham said:

Today’s grim statistics are a stark warning that government’s own commitment to reduce child poverty will crash and burn unless it takes urgent action. The government’s child poverty strategy must invest in children’s life chances, starting by scrapping the two- child limit.  Record levels of kids living in poverty isn’t the change people voted for. 

Niña, now 19, grew up in poverty and her family was homeless for a period. 

It was isolating and awful. I didn’t get to do the normal things that kids do because it was just about survival. During A levels I couldn’t go on school trips.  I took multiple jobs just to buy text books. I had to keep saying to my teachers ‘I can’t afford this or that resource’ .  No one else had to say that. 

Single mother India and her four young children are managing on a tight budget after her marriage ended. She receives universal credit but is subject to both the two-child limit and benefit cap.  

We eat the cheapest food I can find. At the end of the month we have to be very careful about the food we have but as the children are little, they can’t understand it.  

They have second hand clothes and I try to do hand-me-downs but there’s only so many times you can do that, if shoes have holes in them for instance. They see their friends doing activities and they ask why can’t we go? I feel terrible saying no.  

I didn’t chose to be a single parent and I don’t want my children to go without or think that they are poor.  My 7-year-old asked me if we are poor.  That upset me. It’s not children’s fault when a marriage breaks down and money is tight.

Headteacher at Van Gogh primary school in South London Nadine Bernard says: 

I feel we’re hitting rock bottom in terms of the impact of poverty on our children.  Sometimes children arrive at school wanting two or three of the bagels we provide in the morning– they’re that hungry. 

Food costs are really challenging for some of our families - as are heating and electricity costs.  Sometimes children arrive without the correct uniform because parents are having to limit use of their washing machine.  And we have children who are tired because they’re in overcrowded housing and sharing a bedroom with a crying baby.

If we’re not securing even the foundational, basic things for children – like food, shelter and warmth – then there is a lot to question about the effectiveness of provision for children

Notes to editors

CPAG spokespeople are available for interview. Parents may also be available via the CPAG press office. 

CPAG media contact: Jane Ahrends 07816 909302 

CPAG will provide a further breakdown of the statistics in a second release later this morning 

Relative poverty is measured as living on less than 60% of today’s median income

Today’s HBAI statistics from the DWP are here

In order to calculate the 4.8 million 2029/30 figure, it is necessary to use the latest 2023/24 poverty figure as the baseline, and then add onto this, the impact of six years of wider economic trends and policy changes, on child poverty, using UKMOD.

UKMOD is tax-benefit microsimulation software maintained, developed and managed by the Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis (CeMPA) at the University of Essex. The results and their interpretation are the author’s sole responsibility. Version B1.11 was used, with the wider economic parameters updated, based on the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal outlook March 2025.