Latest news with #EndChildPovertyCoalition
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Column: Somerset's child poverty crisis continues to worsen
Child poverty is at an undoubted high across the UK, writes Rowan Russell. A record 4.5m children were living in poverty in the UK in the year to April 2024 and an extra 100,000 children were living below the breadline. These national statistics are reflected locally in Somerset, with an estimate of 14,300 children across the county living in extremely low-income households. These already staggering statistics are likely to be even higher as housing costs are not taken into account when calculating local figures, unlike the broader national ones, where the relative poverty is looked at after housing costs, as well as the local statistics only counting children aged up to 15 while the national ones record children up to 19 years old. The figures have been steadily rising over the past few years, from 2018 when around 12,150 children were recorded to be living in poverty - just 13.1 per cent - to now, where the percentage has increased to roughly 17 per cent - not even taking housing costs into account. However, in recent research done by the End Child Poverty Coalition in the South West, the figure was closer to 27 per cent when making the calculations after housing costs. Robert Wyatt, Action for Children's operational director in the South West, said: "No child in the South West should have to experience poverty. "These figures should demonstrate to the government just how important it is to quickly address this to prevent another generation of children from growing up in low-income families. "One in four children in the South West live in homes where daily essentials are a struggle – it's a national scandal, and we see the impact on children and families in our frontline services every day." The research also showed a strong correlation between the two-child benefit cap and children living in poverty in the South West. The two-child benefit cap was introduced by the Conservative government in 2017 and restricts the support that families with more than two children can receive. It is estimated that the two-child benefit cap affects around 2,425 children in Somerset alone. Although scrapping the cap would cost the government roughly an additional £3bn a year if fully implemented, it would provide 300,000 children nationwide with an escape from poverty. Mr Wyatt continued to say: "As a first step the government must scrap the two-child limit to benefit payments, a policy which continues to pull children into poverty every day." The policy does indeed result in children dropping into poverty on a daily basis. The End Child Poverty Coalition estimates that the limit pulls 109 children below the breadline every day across the country. Joseph Howes, CEO of Buttle UK and chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition, said: "Scrapping the two-child limit is a crucial first step to address rising child poverty across the UK. "By doing this the government could also see a boost to local economies, targeting some of the most deprived areas of the country. "We don't want to see another year of families suffering as a result of the two-child limit. "The government must scrap this policy as part of their soon-to-be-published strategy to tackle child poverty." Children from low-income households across the country do, however, receive support through their schools. In Somerset, the Somerset Household Support Fund gives vital support to struggling families such as providing Free School Meal vouchers during school holidays for children, weekend activities and warm spaces for families, food and fuel provisions and more. Additionally, locally-targeted organisations such as Spark Somerset and Connect Somerset help to support low-income families in the area. Spark Somerset provides information on warm and welcoming places providing young people with a place to rely on during the winter months. Connect Somerset offers help services, including a 'Team around the School' model where professionals connect with and help support schools and families. Many more national support mechanisms are in place that can be accessed via school, such as Pupil Premium, which gives schools funding relevant to the number of pupils eligible for free school meals at the specific school, and the National Funding Formula which provides schools with the additional funding they might require to give extra support to disadvantaged pupils. On top of this, the government has just announced a new fund called the Better Futures Fund. This fund is designed to support over 200,000 children living in poverty. It will run for 10 years and will aim to bring together "government, local communities, charities, social enterprises, investors, and philanthropists to work together to give children a brighter future." It also aims to intervene with children and young people heading down a path to a life of crime, hoping to give career opportunities and a promise of a safer future. This intervention will lead to many mental health support and social care organisations and indeed schools to be relieved of a lot of stress. The fund could provide additional funds in schools to bring up attendance and therefore the overall achievement of pupils. In Somerset and the South West, local youth services will be able to bid on Better Futures Funding for schemes that will focus on such things as reintegrating children excluded from school, supporting young people experiencing mental health crises and diverting at-risk youth away from criminal or antisocial behaviours. It will also be possible to build on existing regional infrastructure. The South West has many established business partners in health, education, social care, and housing, such as Somerset's Strategic Housing Group integrated approach and community-led support services. The Better Futures Fund will result in a boost in the work of organisations already supporting local vulnerable families by patching any holes in existing networks. The fund is also likely to result in unemployment going down - if sustainable organisations are given more funding then more job opportunities will become available. Children's commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, speaks of a noticeable change in how children and young people talk about their lives. She said: "Issues that were traditionally seen as 'adult' concerns are now keenly felt by children. "Children shared harrowing accounts of hardship, with some in almost Dickensian levels of poverty. "They don't talk about 'poverty' as an abstract concept but about not having the things that most people would consider basic: a safe home that isn't mouldy or full of rats, with a bed big enough to stretch out in, 'luxury' food like bacon, a place to do homework, heating, privacy in the bathroom and being able to wash, having their friends over, and not having to travel hours to school." After a period of undeniable growth in child poverty, hopefully more measures will be put in place along with the existing ones that will lead to an ease in the harsh statistics of the struggling of so many children.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
New benefits row sees Starmer told to axe two-child cap
There were a total of 469,780 households on Universal Credit affected by the policy – an increase of 13,520 (3 per cent) over the same period - with almost two thirds (59 per cent) having members in work. The figures dropped against a backdrop of the PM struggling to even keep welfare payments at their current level, let alone reduce them to save money. Last night he finally forced his gutted disability welfare proposals through the House of Commons - despite another Labour revolt. Some 47 backbenchers rebelled against the changes, even though the PM had already caved in on all the key elements. Green MP Sian Berry this morning called for a 'wealth tax' to be brought in to pay for the cap to be lifted. But at the weekend Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warned Labour welfare rebels spending decisions have been made 'harder' after the watering down of welfare reforms. Organisations working in the sector argue that 109 children across the UK are pulled into poverty by the policy every day and that an estimated 350,000 children would be lifted out of poverty immediately if it was scrapped. Ms Phillipson has previously said ministers are 'looking at every lever and we'll continue to look at every lever to lift children out of poverty', but the End Child Poverty Coalition insisted 'this is the lever that needs pulling first'. Its chairman Joseph Howes said the Government's 'moral mission' to end child poverty will fail if this policy remains', arguing that 'no child poverty strategy will succeed in lifting kids out of poverty, if this policy remains'. He added: 'We have heard the Government say that they are looking at all 'the available levers' to reduce child poverty. We all know that this is the lever that needs pulling first – backed up by the Government's own data released today. It's time for the Government to act.' He said any savings the policy makes now will 'create far more expense for our society now and down the line' with consequences likely to be felt in schools, the NHS, prisons 'and one day, in the same social security system that fails these children'. Lord Bird added: 'It is both a moral and a political necessity that this Government ends the two-child benefit cap at the autumn budget. The public will not stomach any more inaction from Labour. They came to power promising an enduring reduction in child poverty and we must have legal targets to hold them to account.'
The Guardian
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
TfL blocks Save the Children advert calling for end to two-child benefit limit
Transport for London (TfL) has banned adverts from the charity Save The Children calling for the two-child limit on universal credit and child tax credit to be scrapped, deeming them in breach of its bar on 'political' advertising. The adverts, designed to look like a train departure board, carry the message: 'By the time you get to work another child in the UK will be dragged into poverty.' They were due to run in Westminster underground station to coincide with the government's comprehensive spending review due on 11 June. After the adverts were initially rejected, the charity changed a strap line from 'time for the UK government to scrap the two-child limit' to 'it's time to scrap the two-child limit,' but this was also rejected by the transport body. The two-child limit, introduced by the Conservative government in 2017, means parents are unable to receive universal credit or child tax credit for more than two children. Analysis by the End Child Poverty Coalition has shown that the cap is a 'key driver of child poverty' in the UK, and the Child Poverty Action Group found that scrapping the cap would lift 350,000 children out of poverty. According to Save The Children, an average of 109 children a day are pulled into poverty by the limit – equivalent to one every 13 minutes. Save The Children was told the adverts had been rejected for falling foul of TfL's ban on party political advertising. However, adverts by the housing charity Shelter, urging the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to invest in social housing, were accepted and ran earlier this spring. Meghan Meek-O'Connor, policy lead on child poverty at Save the Children UK, said: 'It is deeply disappointing that telling the truth about child poverty in this country should be seen as controversial or indeed political. 'We understand TfL have a difficult line to tread when approving or rejecting advertising on the underground. But in our eyes this advert is far less controversial than other adverts it has approved.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'We won't stop raising our voice to ensure that every child has the support they need to develop to their full potential,' she added. 'It shouldn't be controversial to tell the public that the two-child limit keeps children in poverty, and the situation is getting worse.' Last week TfL reversed a ban on adverts from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas) charity, after an intervention from the London mayor, Sadiq Khan. The posters called on people to lobby their MP to vote in favour of decriminalisation of abortion, and were initially rejected for bringing the Metropolitan police into disrepute. TfL has been approached for comment.
Western Telegraph
03-06-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Calls to scrap two-child benefit cap over child poverty link
At least one in four children is in poverty in two-thirds of the UK's constituencies, the annual analysis from Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition found. 'Bold action' is needed, the campaign said ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves's spending review this month, as they called for the cap to be scrapped as soon as possible. The policy means parents only receive support for up to two children through the universal credit system. Analysis of the child poverty rate and the proportion of children affected by the two-child limit found that the two are 'extremely highly correlated', adding to evidence that the cap is a 'major driver of child poverty across the UK'. In the North East, West Midlands and Wales, around nine out of 10 constituencies were found to have a child poverty rate higher than one in four. Birmingham Ladywood, Dewsbury and Batley and Bradford West were among those with the highest rates. Sir Keir Starmer and the Chancellor are under pressure to respond to mounting calls for the two-child benefit cap to be axed at a cost of around £3.5 billion. Ministers have reportedly been considering scrapping it as part of their child poverty strategy, which was due to be published in the spring but is now set to come out in the autumn so it can be aligned with the Chancellor's budget. Dan Paskins, vice-chairman of the End Child Poverty Coalition, said the data presents a 'bleak picture of life' for the UK's children. 'A record number are now in poverty and this is under the noses of our MPs, particularly Cabinet members. 80% of Keir Starmer's Cabinet represent constituencies with higher-than-average child poverty rates. 'The time for action is now, and the Comprehensive Spending Review and forthcoming child poverty strategy should involve bold action. 'Due to the analysis's finding (of) a strong correlation between child poverty rates in local areas and the number of children impacted by the two-child limit to universal credit, it is essential this policy is scrapped as soon as possible.' A Government spokesperson said: 'This Government is determined to bring down child poverty. 'We've already expanded free breakfast clubs, introduced a cap on the cost of school uniforms, increased the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes, uprated benefits in April and supported 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a fair repayment rate on universal credit deductions. 'We will publish an ambitious child poverty strategy later this year to ensure we deliver fully-funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the country.'
South Wales Argus
03-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Welsh constituencies with highest levels of child poverty
The study by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition reveals that 36 per cent of children in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, and 35 per cent of children in Newport East are living in poverty after housing costs are considered. The new data show the constituencies with the highest levels of child poverty in Wales as Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, followed by Rhondda and Ogmore, and Newport East. The list also includes Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, Aberafan Maesteg, and Clwyd North, Cardiff South and Penarth and Swansea West all of which have a 34 per cent of children living in poverty. Elsewhere, figures show that 33 per cent of children Ceredigion Preseli and Mid and South Pembrokeshire live in poverty. The research also highlights that 31 per cent of all children in Wales are living in poverty. Only two of the 35 Welsh parliamentary constituencies have fewer than 25 per cent of children living in poverty. Nationally, child poverty affects every community in Wales. This can mean children lacking food, warm clothing, and living in unsafe housing. The End Child Poverty Coalition, representing over 135 UK organisations, has raised concerns and called upon the government to address these figures. Rachel Walters, the End Child Poverty Coalition manager, said: "No child in the Wales or beyond should have to experience poverty. "These figures should demonstrate to government just how important it is to quickly address this so to prevent another generation of children from growing up in low-income families. "The government's strategy to tackle child poverty must invest in children in areas with higher levels of poverty. "As a first step the government must scrap the two-child limit to benefit payments, a policy which continues to pull children into poverty every day." The research identifies a correlation between the two-child limit and child poverty across Wales. It also emphasises the potential for devolved policy measures to lower child poverty rates. The introduction of the Scottish Child Payment has reportedly reduced poverty levels in Scotland. Dr Steffan Evans, head of policy (poverty) at the Bevan Foundation, said: "Whilst many of the key levers to tackle child poverty still remain at Westminster, this latest analysis highlights just how important a role the Welsh Government has to play in support children and their families. "The Welsh Government have taken many welcome steps over recent years to address child poverty such as the introduction of universal free school meals in primary schools and in updating the education maintenance allowance to make sure it's fit for purpose. "The latest analysis highlights that there is a need for all political parties to be bolder in their commitments to end child poverty as attention turns to the Senedd election next year."
