The Next Government Must Tackle Child Poverty

Imagine a society in which children are going to bed hungry, in which an increasing number of children are facing mental health challenges, and in which millions of children are unable to achieve their full potential. This is the lived reality for millions of children across the UK. 

In 2023, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) estimated that 4.2 million children were living in poverty in the UK. This is an 800,000 increase since the Conservatives took power in 2010. CPAG research has shown that childhood poverty often acts as a barrier to academic success, reduces future job opportunities, and damages physical and mental well-being, 

At some point this year the public will take to the polls. The Conservatives will likely do all they can to distract people from their abysmal record. However, voters must not forget the reality of the last 14 years. In particular, people must not forget about rising levels of child poverty.

Child poverty is a multi-faceted issue, and there is no single solution to it. However, specific policy measures can tackle the issue. All it takes is the political will to adopt bold policies. Although the last Labour governments had flaws, one of the most successful parts of its platform was its focus on tackling child poverty. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, between 1997 and 2010, child poverty reduced significantly. This is in stark contrast to 14 years of Conservative government.

In 2010 Gordon Brown’s government introduced the Child Poverty Act which aimed to eradicate child poverty by 2020. However, this act was ditched by the Conservative government in 2016. From 2010 onwards, with the help of Liberal Democrats for five years, the Conservatives introduced stringent public sector cuts and welfare reforms. Together, this has deepened child poverty.

Labour has the potential to win this year’s election. If the party wants to reverse 14 years of failed policies and lift children out of poverty it must choose to be bold. 

Labour has wrongly reversed its decision to end the two-child welfare cap. It is estimated that 1 in 4 children in the poorest constituencies of England and Wales are in families that have lost over £3,000 a year from the policy, which has led to criticisms from organisations such as the TUC and CPAG. Lifting the cap would cost around £1 billion a year and according to research by CPAG, it would lift an estimated 250,000 children out of poverty, and a further 850,000 out of deep poverty.

For context, the Conservatives have already spent nearly £300 million on the immoral Rwanda scheme, and during the pandemic spent £630 million on fraudulent PPE contracts. This shows that the issue is not whether there is money available to tackle child poverty – it is whether or not our political leaders have the courage to reform the economic system to benefit the vast majority of the public.

Another way to tackle child poverty is to extend free school meals to all children. This is already in place Wales and London (under Labour leadership), and is in place in a more limited form in Scotland (under SNP leadership). The national Labour Party is committed to free breakfasts for all schoolchildren. This is commendable, and will certainly tackle poverty by reducing pressure on household budgets while promoting the mental and physical well-being of schoolchildren. However, the party must go further and push for universal free school meals.

An estimated 900,000 children living in poverty are not eligible for free school meals.

Implementing universal free school meals would cost between £1.8 to £2.5 billion a year. Although this may seem like a significant price tag, the Impact on Urban Health Group estimates that the policy could generate up to £25.2 billion in benefits in the long term (such as by increasing school savings, family savings, and NHS savings).

Those who disagree with assisting those in poverty often argue that it is not economically feasible to do so. However, as demonstrated above, although initial costs may be high for specific policies, there are significant economic benefits that will result from these policies. Therefore, it is not only morally right to help those in need, but in the long term, it is also economically sensible.

As we head into the next election we should remember those 4.2 million children living in poverty. They are not merely a statistic. Every one of them is a child who deserves to grow up in a country that believes in their future. These are children that have been failed for the past 14 years. A change of government is certainly necessary, but we must also continue to place pressure on the next government so that tackling child poverty remains high on the political agenda.