In response to news that the UK government's child poverty strategy is delayed until autumn, Alison Garnham, the chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said:
“There are 4.5 million children already in poverty and another 109 are pulled into poverty every day by the two-child limit alone. If this government is serious in its commitment to the nation’s children, it can’t keep waiting for the stars to align before taking action. It must urgently invest in children and their families, starting with scrapping the two-child limit.”
The elephant in the room today was the two-child limit which is pushing child poverty to a new high on this government’s watch and leaving children without the life chances the Secretary of State wants for them.
These large cuts to sickness and disability benefits risk undermining wider government objectives to tackle child poverty and increase living standards by the end of this parliament.
Research published today shows there is overwhelming public support for government to take action on child poverty. In polling undertaken by Public First, 89% of those asked agreed that no child in the UK should live in poverty and 74% agreed that national government has a role to play in reducing child poverty.
We all want an education system where all young people can thrive and make the most of their time at school. We hope that they attain good exam grades, explore their passions and interests through trips and clubs, and that they develop lifelong friendships through key milestones such as going to their school prom or leavers event. CPAG’s research out this week has shown that for secondary school pupils from lower-income families, this isn’t always the case
The minimum cost of education parents in the UK must meet is now over £1,000 a year for a child at primary school and nearly £2,300 a year for a child at secondary school.
Parents pay at least £1,000 a year to send a child to state primary school in the UK and nearly £2,300 to secondary school – a jump in costs of 16% and 30% respectively since 2022, far outstripping both inflation (8%) and earnings growth (12%) during the same period, new research from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) finds.
Our Cost of the School Day Young People Summit 2025 will take place in The Social Hub in Glasgow on the 30th of September. Schools can apply for places for two young people and a member of staff.
