FPH Annual Conference Brighton

15 June 2016

Giving children a good start plenary

Alison GarnhamChief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group

Child Poverty Action GroupWho are we?

• Founder members credited with rediscovery of poverty in 1965• Campaigning to prevent and end child poverty• Hosts the End Child Poverty Campaign• Experts’ expert in social security law• Instigated the UK welfare rights movement• Won Child Benefit• Significant strategic litigation history• Social enterprise• £3m turnover and 49 staff – offices in London and Glasgow

What has happened to child poverty?Some evidence

Child poverty - historical trend since 1970

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Child poverty is policy responsive

• Largest reductions in child poverty in OECD between mid-1990s and 2008 (Bradshaw 2012)

• Child wellbeing improved on 36 out of 48 indicators between 1997 – 2010 (Bradshaw, 2012)

• Deprivation levels fell as did money worries (FACS)• Extra money led to increased spending on fruit and vegetables,

children’s clothes and books – spending on alcohol and cigarettes fell (Stewart, 2012)

Compared with the EUSUB TITLE

Would have hit target in early 2020s

Targets, progress and projections UKSources: DWP (2015) HBAI 1994/95-2013/14; IFS (2016) Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2015/16 to 2020/21, London: IFS

Before housing costs After housing costs

Baseline year 98/99 3.4 million(26%)

4.4 million(34%)

10-year actual 2010/11 2.3 million(18%)

3.6 million(27%)

IFS estimate 20/21 3.6 million(25.7%)

Gov’t target 20/21 (Based on 10/11 population)

1.3 million(10%)

n/a

Rising proportion of poor children live with working parents

In-work poverty (2013/14) - below 60% median (BHC)

2000/01 2013/14

% poor children in working households 52 64

% poor children in workless households 48 36

No. poor children in working households (million) 1.6 1.5

No. poor children in workless households (million) 1.5 0.8

Government claim - whoops!

Ending child poverty by 2020?Reasons why not:

• High cost of living• Rising cost of a child• Low wages, slow to rise• Benefit and tax credit cuts - £21bn per year, plus £12bn more• 70% hit families with children• 60% hit working people

Where the cuts fellHouse of Commons Library

More devastating cuts this year

• Child benefit, tax credits and universal credit frozen for 4 years• Next April – two-child limit on tax credits or universal credit – no

exception disabled children or children who have lost a parent• Benefits reduced to £20,000 a year (£23,000 in London) under benefit

cap (even if no work because of disability or the need to care for young children)

• Over 60% contain a child under 5• Children of single parents, larger families (more than two) and disabled

children will be hardest hit• support for housing costs cut dramatically, while rents soar

We’re facing a child poverty crisis• IFS latest projections:

• relative child poverty will rise 1.2m between 2015-2020

• Absolute poverty will rise by 600k • Resolution Foundation:

• July 2015 budget increased child poverty by 300-600,000

• 1.5m more children in poverty by 2020• Lone-parent poverty rising steeply by 18.4

percentage points (compared to 4.3 percentage points for couples) - IFS

• Most of the increase in absolute poverty will be among large families (3 or more children) – IFS

• 3.6m children = 9 in every classroom of 30 kids

Government response?

Moving the goal postsSUB TITLE

Did those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden?

The results are in:

Necessity or choice?

• LSE. Manchester & York universities published this major analysis http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/spcc/rr04.pdf

• Fig 9 – the whole of the poorest half of the income distribution is worse off and the richest half is better off

• Cuts for low income groups in effect, funded tax cuts for richer groups

• Reflects cost of raising the personal tax allowance (£12bn)

Why does income matter?

• Family income makes a significant difference to children’s outcomes: poorer children have worse:• Cognitive• social-behavioural and • health outcomes

• This relationship is independent of other factors that have been found to be correlated with child poverty (e.g. household and parental characteristics)

• Income has a causal relationship with poor child outcomes

• Most likely mediated by parental stress and anxiety

Cooper K & Stewart K (2013) Does money affect children’s outcomes? York: JRF https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/does-money-affect-children%E2%80%99s-outcomes

Stealing away children’s life chances

• Education divide – poorer children 9 months behind (Hirsch D, 2007)

• Health divide – socio-economic conditions mean greater risk heart disease, death by stroke, disability, poor mental health (Spencer N, 2008)

• Wellbeing divide – neg. impact relationship with parents, educational orientation, self-worth and risky behaviour (Tomlinson and Walker, 2009)

• Costs £29 billion a year in public spending (CPAG/Hirsch, D, 2013 building on JRF, 2008 ) – if poverty rises will be £35bn

The cost of child poverty

Conclusion• National and comparative evidence shows child poverty

and child health and well-being were improving until 2010• Austerity measures have hit families with children hardest• Child poverty will increase – all gains swept away • 2020 targets missed• Child health and well-being bound to suffer• Evidence will just keep coming

• All Party Parliamentary Group on Health in All Policies Inquiry launch: Child Poverty and Health – the Impact of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015-2016

• Sophie Wickham, Elspeth Anwar, Ben Barr , Catherine Law, David Taylor-Robinson, Child poverty: Using evidence for action, Arch. Child. Diseases

We’re all in it together?

What now for health?

Poor children face significant health risks

• Babies born in deprived areas – weigh 200g less at birth

• Stillbirth and mortality twice as likely for poorest • 10 times more likely to die suddenly in infancy• Twice as likely chronic illnesses like asthma,

cerebral palsy, infectious illnesses, poor dental health

• More likely to get arthritis, heart disease or diabetes

• More likely to die or be injured in accidents• Increased risk mental ill-health• Poor, young men twice as likely to commit

suicide• Shame, isolation, stress on parents – affects

interaction with children

Taylor-Robinson et al BMJ 2013;347:f7157

Causes of food poverty

• Not enough money after paying for essentials (fuel, rent, arrears)• Range of foodstuffs local shops limited• Pay higher prices for food locally• School food inadequate (working poor, stigma,

quality)• Now, cuts mean even less money, sanctions, etc.

(Dowler E, Turner S and Dobson B (2001) Poverty Bites, CPAG)

How does food poverty affect families?• Less variety dietary patterns• Less fresh fruit, wholemeal bread, meat oily fish,• Lower nutrient intakes than richer households• Pregnant women have very poor diets – more low

birthweight babies and less likely to be breastfed• Children grow less well, more likely to be obese• Children come to school hungry, less able to learn

and benefit from school

(based on national and local surveys of food and dietary intake – Dowler, et al)

How do families manage food poverty?

• Adopt careful strategies so there is food on the table• Few, very limited foodstuffs• Parents go without food themselves• Don’t invite friends or family for meals, to celebrate events, or

to socialise• Homeless people in bed and breakfast – severe problems

storing, preparing and eating food• Lack of ready cash a severe problem – prepayment, key

meters, catalogues, door to door loans – mean no food money

The food bank response

• Trussell Trust foodbank parcels: • 2011/12 – 128,697• 2012/13 – 346,992• 2013/14 – 913,138• 2014/15 – over 1 million

• 50-55% due to benefit problems• Last resort after an acute income crisis

(Perry J, Williams M, Sefton T, Haddad M (2014) Emergency Use Only: Understanding and reducing the use of food banks in the UK)

Multiple drivers

One or more of:• Sanctions, waiting for benefits, ESA

stopped (50-55%)• Plus bedroom tax/benefit cap (59-63%)• Plus benefit change or delay (67-78%)

(Perry J, Williams M, Sefton T, Haddad M (2014) Emergency Use Only: Understanding and reducing the use of food banks in the UK)

What now for children’s health outcomes?What can we do?

Child poverty and health

• Eliminating child poverty in the UK would save the lives of 1,400 children under 15 years of age annually

• Pillas D, Marmot M, Naicker K, et al. Social inequalities in early childhood health and development: A European-wide systematic review. Pediatric Research 2014;76:418–24. doi:10.1038/pr.2014.122

Advocate anti-poverty measures

• Include in health and wellbeing plans• Publicise local welfare assistance schemes• Work with JC+ so families don’t end up at food banks• LAs can work with employers and FE to help parents

into work• Become Living Wage employers and contractors• Work to improve local childcare – atypical hours

Some policies to focus on• Advice and support – welfare rights advice is early intervention• FSMs• Extended schools and holiday childcare• Food poverty - food deserts & food banks• Planning - Fast food near schools• Debt and credit• Community transport• Unlock sports facilities and community assets

• Social prescribing• Traffic calming• Green spaces – community orchards – community growing

Implications for education

• We are already seeing children finding it hard to participate in school activities because of the costs involved

• Our work on the cost of the school day shows children choose subjects to avoid those that involve cost

• In addition, many are arriving at school hungry and cannot participate in the same activities as their peers – trips, school uniforms, school meals and so on

• Positive results when this is tackled – attendance, participation• This can only get worse unless tackled

What works?

• High quality early childhood education and care

• Extended schools – breakfast, after school, school holidays

• Poverty proofing the school day• Pupil Premium (including in early years)• Focus on disadvantaged children• Parental employment

Some more conclusions

• We know child poverty is policy responsive• Failure to act is hugely expensive• If Governments do the right thing – it comes down• If they do the wrong thing…• It seems children today are being sacrificed• Children are an end in themselves, not a means to an

end

• Listen to parents, children and young people and include them in decision-making

Rising public concern: Ipsos Mori Issues Index, March 2015