There are 4.3 million children living in poverty in the UK today. These are record numbers, and without government action, child poverty is set to rise further over the coming years. The government has been clear about its commitment to drive down child poverty, and the commitment to developing a UK-wide child poverty strategy is a hugely positive step. It creates an opportunity to realise some of the change that children, families and the communities they live in so desperately need. However, a well-intentioned strategy will do little to effectively tackle child poverty if sufficient resources are not allocated. Increasing social security is the most cost-effective way to raise living standards and lift families out of poverty, and this means the priority for investment in the strategy must be the social security system.
This final report outlines the issues relating to managed migration as the DWP has begun sending migration notices to claimants with much lower incomes and who are likely to be more vulnerable. It highlights how the support offered can be improved to ensure that those facing the greatest barriers are able to make and sustain a UC claim. Lastly, is looks at the experiences of people who have completed the move to UC to highlight how UC can work better for everyone claiming.
This Budget delivered some partial relief for the 4.3 million children and their families who are living in poverty in the UK today. Changes to deductions in universal credit, which will allow low-income families to keep more of their universal credit payment each month, and the expansion of breakfast clubs in primary schools are particularly welcome. However, this Budget was a missed opportunity to take some of the bold action that is urgently needed on child poverty.
This briefing looks at free school meals (FSMs) in Yorkshire and the Humber, including new statistics on the number of children in poverty in each local authority missing out on this entitlement.
Across the UK, millions of children receive a free school meal (FSM) each day at school. But many miss out. Previous CPAG analysis estimated that, across England, 900,000 school-age children in poverty (one in three school-age children) don’t qualify for a FSM under either the national universal infant provision or means-tested schemes. This new piece of analysis shows how this compares to national FSM schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The analysis also looks at how this figure is broken down by region in England.
This briefing shows how the benefit cap is contributing to homelessness, as families are trapped in refuges and other forms of temporary accommodation and are unable to move on to secure and affordable homes.
Between now and the end of 2025, thousands of constituents will have their existing benefit payments switched off and replaced with universal credit. The process involves several hurdles; in the worst-case scenario, a family could be left without any income at all. This briefing explains how the process works, issues constituents are likely to face, and how MPs can carry out effective casework on this topic.
The DWP sensibly began rolling out managed migration to tax credit-only claimants, who have simpler benefit entitlements to calculate, are more likely to have savings to draw on and less likely to be vulnerable. Now it is proceeding to a much more complex and vulnerable claimant group. With the self-imposed tax credit deadline looming, if the DWP does not act now, it appears the more vulnerable claimants will be at the greatest risk of falling victim to a sprint finish.
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.
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.
