Too often the voices of children are missing from conversations and political debates around child poverty. At Save the Children, we have had countless conversations with young people about their futures, and one thing is clear: more money is needed in the pockets of families on the lowest incomes.
Official statistics show child poverty has reached a record high of 4.5 million, an average of nine pupils in every classroom.This is a record no government should want, and Keir Starmer now risks presiding over the first Labour government ever to see a significant rise in child poverty.
Haven, 17, from Wiltshire, is struggling with the cost of books, equipment and travel to his college course in vehicle maintenance. “As teenagers, we are more aware of what is going on at home, and, for me, this means that I don’t want to keep asking for money that I know my mum and stepdad don’t have spare,” he said.
The eldest of four children, Haven qualified for free meals at school, but not at college, as they have different eligibility criteria. He often scrimps on lunch because college food is too expensive, and the bus there costs him £54 a month, which he tries to fund through babysitting. Putting more money into social security would be one way to ensure Haven and his brothers and sisters get a bit more support. Even though his mum and stepdad work, the cost of living is punishing families like theirs.
Rafshan, who is in Year 10 at Small Heath Leadership Academy in Birmingham, met with the Minister for Employment, Alison McGovern, alongside fellow pupils in an engagement session to help shape the upcoming child poverty strategy. He said: “The conversation focused on the challenges many of our students face outside the classroom, including rising poverty levels, limited access to resources, and the growing pressure on families. The most critical issue we raised was student finance.
For many of our students, the dream of university is overshadowed by fears about debt and affordability.” He said the high interest rates on student loans can deter even the most ambitious students from going to university.
We supported teenagers from two high schools in Sussex to speak to the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, about the child poverty strategy. One pupil explained how insecure housing is impacting their ability to engage at school. Afterwards, he told us: “There’s a lot of uncertainty. You don’t know how long you’ll be in a place, or where you’ll end up. I love where we are now, because I have my own bed and room for the first time, but we could have to move again.”
Maddy, 18, who lives in Wallsend and wants to go on to study performing arts, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is a big deal for teenagers. Many can’t afford school meals, uniforms, transport to get to school, pens, pencils, equipment.
Those in power need to listen to young people. We’re the key to their future, if we don’t have those in power looking for our support, how are me meant to look after everyone else when they’re old?” Eboni, 13, in Ashton-under-Lyne, enjoys going to Police Cadets after school and says it is a break from stress. “I don’t think other teenagers my age find things easy and sometimes they don’t have everything they need,” she said. “The struggles some teenagers might feel could be around mental health, school and home life.”
The stress and worry among young people about their own circumstances and that of their friends and peers is palpable in all the conversations we have with them, whether they have personal experience of poverty or not. Children care deeply about each other’s well-being and how they will fare in the future, and are desperate for change.
At Save the Children, we have spoken to families about what they need, and looked at the official statistics and modelling. From this, it is clear there is no credible route to reducing child poverty that doesn’t start with scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap on social security in full. Removing them would take half a million children out of poverty by the end of the parliament.
Next, they must introduce a “child lock”, a double lock that would help all children by ensuring children’s social security payments, like Universal Credit and child benefit, increase by whichever is higher out of earnings or inflation.
This will ensure children benefit from growth and are granted security from high inflation. If the two-child limit and benefit cap had not been introduced at all, and a “child lock” had been put in place at the same time as the pension triple lock, 690,000 fewer children would be in poverty today.
For too long, children in the UK have had limits placed on their childhood. Families have told us what they need – it is now time for the UK government to take action.
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