Child Poverty doesn't end with Childhood

The news that the Labour government aims to end child poverty by the next election could and should be great news for all – particularly for the millions of families suffering from the inequalities and setbacks child poverty causes across the UK. But how far will they go to not only end child poverty but ensure that firm measures are in place to secure a fairer future for all?

Child poverty does not end when a child leaves school or reaches the age of 18, far from it! The legacy of poverty continues to affect young people and their parents/carers as they go into adulthood. I understand from official figures that within the UK, in 2024/25, an estimated 4.5 million children, or 31% of all children are living in poverty. This is a record high, with an increase of 100,000 on the previous year.

In my own experience, my daughter and I were plunged into poverty when she was eight years old, after I became a single parent. With the loss of my ex-partner’s income, mounting bills, and with no financial help from my ex, I was left to support myself and my daughter. My only means were my benefits as a single person unable to work due to ill health. I did not know where to turn for advice or help, having little knowledge of what may be available to me.

This situation made an immediate impact on my daughter’s schooling and on her future prospects, as there was no way I could afford the additional costs of supplying school uniform, books, and other essential items. For my daughter, there could be no more school trips or educational outings, no free school meals or after school clubs as I was told I was not entitled to these while claiming legacy benefits. This had both a sudden and sustained effect on each of our physical and mental health.

Jump forward a decade, and my daughter continued with her studies as well as she could and passed her A-levels. But I know that she could have achieved so much more if she had been afforded the same opportunities as others from wealthier families. The lack of healthy, affordable food is a large part of this but there is so much more to poverty’s effects, including the cost of clothing, transport costs, and the ability to join in activities with others, all of which contributes to a better understanding of life.

When my daughter finished her A-levels and left school, poverty did not vanish overnight. After spending so much time researching and applying for apprenticeships in her chosen field, she was still not able to find a position. Again, this is largely caused by the cost of transport to attend interviews and purchase smart clothing. Now, working part-time at a local church, she is still struggling with the rising cost of living, with myself unable to give her any more than verbal encouragement and a roof over her head.

Living in poverty as a child has affected my daughter in so many ways, and will continue to do so long into the future. Millions of other families are struggling to raise children in a society that does not see the importance of making real, meaningful changes that would help the poorest to have the best chance of fulfilling their own future potential.

There are things that this government can do to end child poverty immediately, not least by ending the two-child limit on benefits, but by making other changes: the provision of safe, warm homes without damp and mould that causes serious health conditions; a far better public transport system that is affordable for all; offering healthy free school meals for children of all ages and in every UK nation.

These are all changes that can be made relatively easily – and despite the costs, it will have a positive effect on society as a whole, giving children safe communities and far more opportunities to make a better future for themselves and the generations to follow. In the long-term, it would also be positive healthwise, helping the NHS because there would be far less physical and mental health conditions that are caused or made worse by living in poverty.

The government needs to act now to secure the future of every person living in poverty in the UK. They must make up for the years of neglect by successive governments, who have left the poor to get poorer – so we can all live meaningful lives without the worry of how we can feed our families. Our children and future generations need and deserve the best possible start to life that we can offer.

Don't just promise change in the future, make changes now that will not only benefit the poorest in society, but society as a whole.