'The future is far from secure for 4 million children in poverty yet there isn’t a plan in the manifesto to tackle record child poverty. The PM’s commitment to increasing the number of families receiving child benefit is welcome but reducing entitlements to disability benefits and increasing sanctions in our social security system will make some of the worst-off families even more insecure. There will be no financial security for millions of struggling families until all parties commit to abolishing the poverty-producing two-child limit and benefit cap and to an increase in the rate of child benefit. Children have no voice in this election but their well-being should be front and centre for all politicians.'
‘Ending child poverty is now the urgent policy priority for any future government and scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap and expanding free school meals eligibility are essential first steps down that road, but a comprehensive strategy across government is also needed to protect the well being of all children and achieve a fair deal for them - the next Government will need to go further and ensure child benefit is increased across the board and free school meals are available for every child.’
Nine hundred thousand children in poverty are not eligible for free school meals (FSM) because the qualifying criteria is so restrictive, Child Poverty Action Group analysis of DfE FSM data, published today, shows.
Poverty is devastating. It puts children’s education, health and life chances on the line. More than four million children are living in poverty in the UK. That’s nine kids in an average classroom of 30. This isn’t right, and it doesn’t have to be like this.
Since our last report was published, the DWP has brought forward the managed migration of 800,000 employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants who do not get tax credits, which had been delayed until 2028.
To mark the day of his funeral, we're publishing our tribute to Frank, who was a true champion for children and low‐income families. He was a rare and admirable ‘one off’. He will be greatly missed.
‘It’s good to hear that ending child poverty is central for Labour, but the best way to achieve that is by ending the two-child limit on benefits which is driving so many children into hardship. A child poverty reduction plan is essential, but scrapping the two-child limit would have to be step one.'
The proportion of tax credit claimants not moving to universal credit (UC) when required to – and losing all of their benefits as a result – has jumped to 39%, up from 25% in July, DWP figures published today show. That’s more than 180,000 people whose ‘legacy benefit’ claim has been terminated without safely making the move to UC.
Parents need support to provide for their children with security and without constant worry. Imagine the UK without any child poverty – a country with all children well fed and housed, feeling secure, and growing up healthy and confident.
This briefing, produced by CPAG in association with Age UK and RNIB, focuses on two new mandatory reconsideration policies introduced in 2022 and 2023 which put access to justice for particular groups of claimants at risk.
