Right now, child poverty in the UK is rising at an alarming rate with 4.5 million children growing up in poverty. This is a record high and is expected to continue to grow unless action is taken.
That’s millions of children going without essentials, millions of children unable to concentrate in class because they went to school hungry.
BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
We can change course - and it starts with demanding action.
Children deserve better. We must speak out now and push our leaders to take urgent steps to end child poverty for good. And ensure there are no limits to childhood.
What We're Calling For
To reduce child poverty in the UK and give families the support they need, there should be no limits to childhood. The UK Government must:
- Scrap the two-child limit and benefit cap, which denies essential support to children based solely on family size.
Commit to a ‘Child Lock’ that ensures that child-related benefits rise in line with wages or average earnings (whichever is higher), so families don't fall further behind.
Deliver a strong child poverty strategy, with targeted support and real solutions that tackle the root causes of poverty - like low wages, high housing costs, and inadequate benefits.
It’s time for our government to make the right choices and build a future where every child can grow up safe, healthy, and hopeful.
WE HEAR WHAT CHILDREN ARE TELLING US
In conversations across the country, children are speaking out about life in poverty - about empty cupboards, freezing homes, and the shame of going without.
We have a responsibility to listen, to act, and to make sure their futures aren’t defined by a postcode or a policy decision.
I think that no matter how many children you choose to have in this country, your children should be safe, they shouldn’t be living in poverty or affected by the cost of living crisis like we are, because they are the future.
-SCUK youth panel member
The two-child limit means that bigger families don’t have the money for things they need, like food, and things for school.
-SCUK youth panel member
It’s just morally wrong to have a cap on the number of children you have.
-SCUK youth panel member
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
WRITE TO YOUR MP. HELP END CHILD POVERTY.
Neither children nor the UK Government have time to waste when it comes to ending child poverty.
Right now, you have the power to influence the policies shaping children’s lives. By writing to your MP, you can help put pressure on the government to scrap the cruel two-child limit and commit to real action on child poverty.
Children shouldn’t have to pay the price for political decisions. Use your voice to tell your MP to take action now to reduce child poverty.
It only takes a few minutes - but it could help change a child’s life.
