Reducing poverty-related stigma to improve the uptake of free school meals is critical. The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated how millions of families rely on school food to help make ends meet. How are free school meals delivered in different schools and what impact does that have on children? What can be done to reduce shame and stigma for children eligible for free school meals?
The US has long been associated with high rates of child poverty, both on its own terms and relative to other wealthy nations. Currently, the US is in the early stages of repurposing an old policy tool – a national child allowance – to a new end: cutting child poverty during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. How does this compare to the past and present situation for children and child benefits in the UK?
In-work poverty has been on the rise in the UK. Just before the pandemic hit, three-quarters of children living in poverty had at least one parent in work. What role does the social security system, and in particular universal credit, play in helping or hindering low-income working families?
The term ‘extended schools’ refers to services delivered by schools that go beyond the core function of the classroom education of children within the normal school day.
This joint report from CPAG, the Church of England and the Welfare Reform and Larger Families research project presents the latest estimates of the number of families affected by the two-child limit, and provides an insight into the impact of the policy using survey data from families directly affected by it. It is a continuation of a series of annual reports tracking the impact of this policy over time.
The Cost of Learning in Lockdown (March 2021 update) is a report based on surveys carried out with parents, carers, children and young people asking them about their family's experience of learning during lockdown, with particular focus on families struggling with money.
We've produced a practical resource for educations staff to help tackle poverty and the cost of the school day, in collaboration with Children North East and the National Education Union.
How have changes to the benefits system affected low-income families over the last decade and what does this mean for their exposure to the economic fallout of COVID-19? What has happened to depth of poverty, particularly for the poorest BAME children? And what reform agenda does this set for social security beyond the pandemic?
The benefit cap has been in place since 2013, but what has its impact been when compared with its objectives? How does the rhetoric match up with the reality for the tens of thousands of families affected? And does the benefit cap have any place during a pandemic?
In 2022, the UK will be examined under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. As part of this process, the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) has coordinated the civil society submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Outlining the key issues for children’s rights in the UK, CRAE’s report warns that a child’s right to an adequate standard of living has regressed since 2016. What progress has been made in protecting and promoting children’s rights, and how is the UK government falling short?
