Child poverty has been rising across the UK over the past decade, driven by large cuts to the social security system. But some divergence in the numbers will arise between the four nations because of policy choices. What are the key differences in how child poverty is tackled in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? What can we learn from progress being made? And as the new UK government creates its child poverty strategy, what path should it take?
Before the UK general election in July 2024, the Conservative government cut national insurance (NI) contribution rates for employees and the self-employed (twice). More radically, it announced a longer-term intention to abolish these contributions entirely, leaving the future of NI benefits unclear. But this was against a backdrop of a chronic lack of well-informed debate about the NI system and social security generally in the UK. Fran Bennett tries to put this right.
Many children and families entered the pandemic facing poverty and structural disadvantage, and were failed – and continue to be failed - by the inadequacy of the economic measures introduced in response to the pandemic, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) told Module 9 of the Covid-19 inquiry today.
In the absence of leadership from Westminster in recent years, devolved governments and local authorities have developed their own strategies to tackle child poverty. The UK government has now committed to developing a UK-wide cross-government child poverty strategy, which is a hugely welcome step. What key lessons from experiences of developing child poverty strategies in the devolved nations should inform the future development of a UK-wide cross-government child poverty strategy?
To mark ‘Adequate Incomes’ day of Challenge Poverty Week 2024, we are sharing two new resources designed to help with approaches to talking about costs and maximising incomes in schools and early years settings.
As MPs return to Parliament today, new analysis from Child Poverty Action Group shows 10,000 children have been pulled into poverty by the two-child limit since the government took office. That’s 109 children each day since July 5th.
