The Government has today released its Households Below Average Income statistics, which show that child poverty has reached a record high – with 4.5 million children in the UK now below the poverty line.
This figure is up from 3.6 million in 2010/11 and means over 3 in 10 children in the UK are now living in poverty. The percentage of children in working households who are living in poverty has also risen to 18%, up from 17% in 2022/23.
Overall, the new figures show that 800,000 more people were living in relative poverty in the UK in 2023/24 than in 2020/21 – and the number of children in households that are at risk of or unable to afford enough food is at its highest recorded level since food insecurity measures were introduced in 2020.
Graham Whitham, Chief Executive at Manchester based Resolve Poverty said: “It’s a national disgrace that in an average class of 30, at least nine children are now living in poverty – and yesterday’s Spring Statement didn’t offer any concrete solutions on cutting this number.
“The latest figures show it is critical that there is immediate, effective anti-poverty activity within every locality and every level of government.
“The government’s forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy must go beyond sticking-plaster solutions. We need to see real policy change that addresses the root issue and protects and supports low-income households – for example, lifting the two-child limit and benefit cap.
“The last Labour government invested in families, lifted children out of poverty and grew the economy. These things go hand in hand. The current government must learn from this approach if we’re to drive down child poverty in communities across the country.”
