The number of children living in poverty in the UK has hit a record high, with child poverty in the UK now affecting 4.5 million young people, according to newly released government statistics.
The figures, covering the year to April 2024, show an increase of 100,000 children living below the breadline during the final year of the Conservative government.
The data also reveals a troubling rise in food insecurity among families, with more children living in households that cannot provide regular meals or that are reliant on food banks to survive.
Food Insecurity and Benefit Cuts Deepen Crisis
Charities and anti-poverty groups have warned that the situation could deteriorate further unless urgent policy changes are made. Many families are struggling to meet basic needs as food prices remain high and public support systems are stretched thin.
The government has acknowledged that recent cuts to disability and incapacity benefits could push an additional 50,000 children into poverty by the end of the decade, along with 200,000 disabled adults. Campaigners say this will only exacerbate the crisis if not reversed.
Campaigners Urge Labour to Scrap Two-Child Benefit Cap
Alison Garnham, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group and vice-chair of End Child Poverty, described the statistics as a “stark warning” that the government’s promises to reduce child poverty are at risk of failing. She urged Labour to take immediate action once it assumes office.
“Today’s grim statistics are a stark warning that the government’s own commitment to reduce child poverty will crash and burn unless it takes urgent action,” Garnham said. “The government’s child poverty strategy must invest in children’s life chances, starting by scrapping the two-child limit. Record levels of kids living in poverty isn’t the change people voted for.”
Labour has pledged to cut food bank reliance and is expected to unveil its child poverty strategy in June. However, activists stress that any credible plan must include ending the two-child benefit cap, which they say disproportionately impacts the poorest families.
Pressure Mounts for Action as Poverty Reaches Historic Highs
The increase in child poverty in the UK has sparked renewed calls for comprehensive reforms, with experts warning that without intervention, the long-term impacts on education, health, and social mobility could be devastating.
Anti-poverty organisations are urging both current and incoming governments to prioritize children’s welfare and to treat child poverty as a national emergency requiring immediate investment and policy overhaul.
