'Heartbreaking and wrong' that a million young children are growing up in poverty

The findings, which the charity has called 'heartbreaking and wrong' are published in its annual poverty report – 'UK Poverty 2023: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK.'

Published today (26 January), the report is based upon the most recent Government data covering the first year of the pandemic.

It reveals that 13.4 million people were in poverty during 2020/21, including 3.9 million children. Of these, 1.3m were primary school children and 1m children under the age of four, who the JRF says are now ‘experiencing the sharp end of the hardship caused by the cost-of-living crisis’.

Other key findings include:

• One in six (18 per cent) children were living in persistent poverty (spending at least three out of the last four years in poverty). The JRF says that ‘for young children, that is nearly their whole life.’
• Almost 40 per cent of children in a lone parent family are in poverty.

The report states that the Government showed it could make a meaningful difference to the numbers experiencing poverty during the pandemic when it introduced the temporary £20 a week increase to universal credit and working tax credit. However, the period of respite was brief, with the Government taking away this help just as the cost-of-living crisis began, with benefits instead rising by only 3.1 per cent - a fraction of the inflation many families are experiencing.

It warns that living standards are likely to have fallen since the official data was collected and that future prospects are ‘deeply worrying.’

The charity’s latest cost of living tracker, carried out in late October and early November 2022, found that more than 7 in 10 families are going without essentials, around 6 in 10 cannot afford an unexpected expense, more than half are in arrears and around a quarter use credit to pay essential bills.

'These problems can be solved but it takes the political will and imagination to tackle multiple injustices at once'.

JRF’s chief analyst Peter Matejic said, ‘This winter we have seen two crises collide – the cost of living is forcing families to cut back on essentials and our health service is being overwhelmed by demand. Leaving people to go hungry, skip showers or live in cold homes risks further profound and long-term consequences – not just for individuals’ health but for the state’s capacity to deliver what all of us as citizens should be able to expect.  

‘But governments are far from helpless and none of this is inevitable. The £20 uplift was the right political choice which clearly made a huge difference during the pandemic and may have prevented what were tremendously difficult years becoming a complete disaster for families around the UK. 

‘The relief provided by this measure, taken away just as the cost-of- living crisis hit, also demonstrated that the standard rates of social security are fundamentally not fit for purpose, with millions now going without essentials such as food, heating and cleanliness. 

‘These problems can be solved, but it takes the political will and imagination to tackle multiple injustices at once - and all of us need a Government and an economy that works for us when times are hard.’ 

'Every child living in poverty is a victim of political inaction.'

The National Education Union (NEU) said its ‘members see first-hand the impact poverty has on children’s education, affecting their ability to concentrate and fulfil their potential’.

Joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted added, ‘Every child living in poverty is a victim of political inaction. The Government urgently needs to offer free school meals to all children in primary schools to ensure that no child is left behind and put money back in families’ pockets.’

Jonathan Broadbery, director of policy and communications at National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), commented, ‘It’s truly horrifying to think that a million children under the age of four are living in poverty in the UK.

‘Worryingly, nurseries in our more deprived areas are more likely to be financially vulnerable and therefore more likely to close due to Government underfunding. The cost and availability of childcare is highlighted in this report as a barrier to some parents being able to work – fixing the early education and care system is the right thing to do for all children to achieve their full potential.'

• The full report is available here