Policy briefing: Tackling child poverty
The government has committed to a new child poverty strategy. Here are 10 immediate policy options to tackle child poverty and support families into decent, secure work.
Poverty and extreme hardship is increasingly commonplace in our communities and is felt particularly acutely by families with children. This trend was intensified by the pandemic and cost of living crisis, but is the product of a broader and longer-term deterioration in living standards, public services and the social safety net that predates both and reflects political choices.
The government’s commitment to a new child poverty strategy signals a welcome change of direction. Done right, it represents a once in a generation opportunity to transform the life chances of millions of children.
In this briefing, we focus on two broad goals that should strongly inform it:
Restoring the adequacy of the social security system is essential for the child poverty strategy to succeed. We cannot expect to make a serious dent in poverty levels without significant investment. But it is not the only lever we should look to pull.
We welcome the government’s renewed emphasis on supporting people into good quality work. The child poverty strategy should have a specific focus on how it can support low-income families with children to break down barriers to work and lift their incomes through employment.
Many of them could be enacted relatively quickly through regulations. The solutions to child poverty are well known, and there is no reason why the business of ending it need wait any longer. The government should strongly consider these proposals for its next Budget.
