Data: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
What are the main points?
- There were more than 4 million children living in poverty in the year to April 2024, show DWP statistics. The figure is based on the government’s standard poverty measure – living in a household of relative low income minus housing costs.
- It represents 31% of children in the UK and is an increase of 100,000 children from the previous year, state the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).
- CPAG carried out its own analysis, predicting that 4.8 million children will be in poverty by the end of the Parliament in 2029-30 – unless the government scraps the two-child benefit limit and steps back from benefit cuts.
- Separate but relevant figures revealed a fall in child poverty in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK. However, Scotland still fell short of its agreed targets on reducing child poverty.
EXPERT THOUGHT
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Social Justice Secretary, Scottish Government, said:
‘Our policies are having to work harder than ever to make a difference, against a backdrop of a continuing cost of living crisis, rising energy costs and UK Government decision making. The DWP’s own figures show that proposed welfare cuts will drive 50,000 more children into poverty, which must call into question their commitment to tackling child poverty.’
Image | Unsplash
