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Save Child poverty
Keep up-to-date with the latest news and information on child poverty issues
Produced by the Child Poverty Unit (CPU), this section provides information and resources to support those working to tackle child poverty.
What is child poverty?
Broadly speaking, child poverty means growing up in a household with low income. Extensive research and data shows that children who grow up in poverty face a greater risk of having poor health, being exposed to crime and failing to reach their full potential.
It means they miss out on school trips, do not have adequate winter clothing and aren’t able to enjoy leisure activities with their peers. As a result, their education suffers - making it difficult to get the qualifications they need to move on to sustainable, well-paid jobs. This limits their potential to earn the money needed to support their own families in later life, and so a cycle of poverty is created.
Therefore in order to ensure today’s poor children are not tomorrow’s poor adults, child poverty must be tackled now.
How is child poverty measured?
To ensure a consistent ‘measure’ of child poverty, children are said to be living in poverty if their household’s income is less than 60 per cent of the median national income. Essentially, this looks at whether the incomes of the poorest families are keeping pace with the growth of incomes in the economy as a whole.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has produced a useful tool to help people understand where they lie in terms of the UK’s income distribution.
Using this measure, there are currently 2.9 million children living in poverty in this country.
How is it being tackled?
Tackling child poverty is by no means easy, but through a co-ordinated approach, it is certainly possible.
To eradicate child poverty in a way that lasts we must improve children’s chances for a better future by increasing social mobility, reducing repeated cycles of poverty and preventing families from falling into poverty. Families where no-one is working are particularly at risk of poverty, as are those on low incomes. Efforts to help people into sustainable, well-paid jobs are vital, as is providing financial support to those on low incomes to make sure work pays.
The child poverty strategy, currently under development, will look at both the causes and consequences of child poverty, and set out the Government’s vision for tackling the problem.
Who is responsible?
Ending child poverty is everybody’s business and involves national, regional, and local politicians, policy makers and practitioners all working together to make a difference. Local authorities and their partners have a particularly important role to play in tackling the problem at a local level.
Child Poverty Bill
In 1999 the Government made it a priority to eradicate child poverty within a generation. The Child Poverty Bill, currently going through Parliament, will enshrine in law this commitment - ensuring action is taken by this, and future governments.
The Child Poverty Unit (CPU)
The Child Poverty Unit (CPU) was established in 2007 to ensure a co-ordinated approach to ending child poverty. Bringing together the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and HM Treasury, the work of the CPU focuses on taking forward the Government's strategy to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
Keep in touch
The CPU is keen to hear your views on the type of information and resources available from this section, including ideas on where further support is needed. Please email your feedback to Tony Finnegan at the CPU.
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Take Up The Challenge
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Last updated on 08/01/2010
