{"id":2313,"date":"2024-05-10T13:38:24","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T12:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/iprblog\/?p=2313"},"modified":"2024-05-10T13:38:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T12:38:24","slug":"ending-child-poverty-is-urgent-and-it-is-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/iprblog\/2024\/05\/10\/ending-child-poverty-is-urgent-and-it-is-possible\/","title":{"rendered":"Ending child poverty is urgent, and it is possible"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jane Millar<\/a>, OBE, FBA, FAcSS is Professor Emerita in the Institute for Policy Research<\/a> at the University of Bath. Her research interests include the design, implementation and impact of family policy, social security and employment policy. She is chair of the Trustees of Child Poverty Action Group. <\/em>Kitty Stewart is Associate Professor of Social Policy at the LSE and Associate Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE). Her research focuses primarily on the causes and consequences of child poverty and disadvantage and on social policy as it affects children, particularly in the early years. She is a Trustee of the Child Poverty Action Group.<\/em><\/p>\n

This article is part of a\u00a0blog series<\/a>\u00a0published in partnership with\u00a0Academics Stand Against Poverty UK,<\/a> as they develop their third manifesto audit in the build up to the 2024 election. They will analyse the policies in the manifestos in relation to poverty to asses how confident they are that they will enable British society to flourish. It was originally published on the Transforming Society Blog<\/a> on 10 May 2024<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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There are 4.3 million children in the UK living in poor households \u2013 almost one in three children. Poverty blights their childhood \u2013 their health, their education, their present and future options. It costs the country over \u00a339 billion a year in lost tax revenues and the costs of social provision.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parents need support to provide for their children with security and without constant worry. Imagine the UK without any child poverty \u2013 a country with all children well fed and housed, feeling secure, and growing up healthy and confident.<\/p>\n

Child Poverty Action Group<\/a> is asking all the political parties to include a manifesto commitment for action to end child poverty. \u00a0This needs to start with a vision<\/strong> of a society free from child poverty, where all children can thrive. The vision should be made concrete in the form of a child poverty strategy <\/strong>for action across all levels of government, with key targets, timelines and regular reporting.<\/p>\n

CPAG has long made the case for such a comprehensive strategy to \u201ctake a wide, coordinated and long-term approach\u2026 based on the best interests of the child\u2026 to take into account children\u2019s rights\u2026 to focus on children at risk\u2026 to balance universal and targeted support\u2026.\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A child poverty strategy must start with some immediate action. Our social security system is riddled with policies that have increased the risk, level and depth of child poverty. We must get rid of the most damaging policies as soon as possible.<\/p>\n