A Fair Start For Every Child: Why we must act now to tackle child poverty in the UK

This report examines the impact of poverty on the lives of children in the UK and the underlying drivers that cause it. It also looks at what the future might hold, with new modelling demonstrating that the risk of more children entering poverty could be even greater than we currently fear.

All too easily, poverty becomes a life sentence, as cognitive development and educational achievement suffer. There is a direct relationship between household income, and school-readiness and vocabulary at five. The visibility of poverty at primary school, missing school trips because of cost, and poor appearance can lead to bullying. Only a third of the poorest children in England go on to achieve five good GCSEs including English and math. Perhaps the starkest reality is that, over the past ten years, work has ceased to become a sufficient solution to poverty for families with children. While unemployment has fallen among low-income families, the number of poor children living in working households has actually risen by 12 percentage points. Two-thirds of poor children now live in working households.

As the economy recovers, the situation for poor children is set to get worse, not better. The Institute for Fiscal Studies predicts a one-third rise in child poverty by 2020 – the target set for its eradication – despite the growing economy.

This report calls for the following changes:

1. Every family to have access to high-quality and affordable childcare
2. A minimum income guarantee for families of children under five years old
3. A national mission for all children to be reading well by 11.