More than three-quarters of people in the UK would support a new parliamentary Bill to end child poverty, a survey revealed.
A post-election YouGov survey commissioned by the Children’s Charities Coalition of more than 2,000 adults across the UK revealed that 78% of respondents are in favour of the introduction of an End Child Poverty Bill.
This follows new figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions which show that 1.6 million children were living in households affected by the two-child limit on benefits policy as of April this year.
CEOs from the Children’s Charities Coalition said: “With a new Government comes new opportunities.
“Sir Keir Starmer has the chance to be truly ambitious for children across the UK and set out a mission that ensures they can grow up safer, happier and healthier, starting with tackling child poverty.”
The survey further showed that over 6 in 10 Londoners believe that more efforts are needed to address the needs of babies, children, and young people.
When questioned about various issues impacting children, 82% supported new policies for enhanced early intervention services in children’s social care, 82% backed greater funding and services for children in care, and 72% endorsed the establishment of a Cabinet Committee dedicated to children’s needs.
The backdrop to these findings is the stark reality that 4.4 million children are currently living in poverty in the UK.
This exacerbates numerous issues faced by young people, including mental health challenges, educational disparities, and physical health problems, with children from the poorest neighbourhoods being 14 times more likely to be referred to children’s social care compared to those from the wealthiest areas.
The Children’s Charities Coalition, comprising Action for Children, Barnardo’s, The Children’s Society, the National Children’s Bureau, and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), asserts that addressing child poverty requires a cross-government mission led by the Prime Minister.
As such, on 11 July 2024, five young campaigners delivered a petition signed by over 28,000 people to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on behalf of the Children’s Charities Coalition, calling on the Government to collaborate across all departments to improve the lives of babies, children, and young people, prioritise their needs and voices in decision-making, and allocate more national resources to their support.
An Action for Children Young Ambassador who delivered the petition, Chan, 14, said: “Children are an important part of society.
“We’re the hope and future of the country.”
He added: “But children like me are not always in the position to speak up easily.
“So, I’m asking political parties to champion the rights of all children.
“Children’s voices and needs must be at the beginning, middle, and end of any important decisions they make.”
The Labour Government, which has already committed to a child poverty strategy, is facing increasing pressure to abolish the two-child limit on benefit payments.
The first 100 days of the new Government are seen as a crucial period for the Prime Minister to heed public opinion, and the coalition hopes that a plan for how to eradicate child poverty will be addressed in tomorrow’s King’s Speech.
Photo by James Newcombe on Unsplash
