StreetGames Conference

21 June 2021

Tackling child poverty

Alison Garnham

Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group

What do we mean by child poverty?

An individual or family is in poverty if they:lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged and approved, in the societies to which they belong.’ (Townsend, 1979)

What percentage of children in the UK are living in

poverty (pre-Covid-19)?

A. 15% B. 31% C. 25%

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Please select your answer from the poll

Child poverty across the UK

The answer is 31% of children across the UK are considered to be living in poverty. This equates to about 4.3 million children and young people

“…..think of poverty as happening in another country, to another group of fictitious people, so they hear the statistics and say it’s terrible but they don’t really see or feel the deep, damaging impact of it, or realise it’s happening closer to home than they think"

Child poverty levels vary across the UK but it exists in every local authority area and in every school. Find out about local child poverty rates:Child poverty in your area 2014/15 –2019/20 – End Child Poverty

Child poverty across the UK

The levelling-up challenge – in 2019/20

• Before the pandemic - 4.3m children in poverty• Up 200k from previous year – up 700k since 2012• Over last 5 years greatest growth North East

England• Risen by a third - from below UK average to 2nd

highest • Highest rates in major cities – London and

Birmingham

LAs with highest increases: 2014/15 - 2019/20

Local Authority% of children below 60% median income AHC

2014/15 2019/20 %age point increase

UK 29% 31% 2%

Newcastle upon Tyne 28.4% 41.2% 12.8%

Gateshead 24.7% 36.0% 11.2%

Redcar and Cleveland 26.2% 36.8% 10.6%

County Durham 25.3% 35.8% 10.5%

North Tyneside 23.6% 34.0% 10.5%

Darlington 25.7% 36.1% 10.4%

South Tyneside 27.4% 37.8% 10.4%

Hartlepool 27.4% 37.8% 10.4%

Middlesbrough 29.2% 39.4% 10.3%

Sunderland 27.4% 37.6% 10.3%

Stockton-on-Tees 25.5% 35.3% 9.8%

Northumberland 26.5% 36.2% 9.8%

Leicester 30.0% 37.9% 7.9%

Bradford 30.1% 37.7% 7.7%

Birmingham 35.5% 42.5% 6.9%

Leeds 28.6% 35.3% 6.7%

Manchester 35.4% 41.8% 6.4%

Kirklees 30.0% 36.1% 6.2%

Kingston upon Hull 30.2% 36.3% 6.1%

North Lincolnshire 27.2% 33.1% 5.9%

Consituencies with highest rates

Constituency% of children below 60% median income after housing costs, 2019/20

UK 31%

Bethnal Green and Bow 59.6%

Hackney South and Shoreditch 56.3%

Birmingham Ladywood 54.5%

Birmingham Hall Green 54.3%

Birmingham Hodge Hill 52.0%

Vauxhall 51.6%

West Ham 51.2%

Poplar and Limehouse 50.6%

East Ham 50.0%

Walthamstow 49.8%

Birmingham Perry Barr 48.9%

Barking 48.9%

Warley 47.8%

Tottenham 47.6%

Bermondsey and Old Southwark 47.4%

Bradford West 47.3%

Walsall South 47.1%

Manchester Gorton 46.8%

Bradford East 46.7%

Holborn and St Pancras 46.4%

What percentage of children in poverty live in households where someone is working?

A. 24% B. 55% C. 75%

Please select your answer from the poll

How child poverty intersects with other characteristics

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Lone parent families

49%of children living in lone parent

families are in poverty

They face a higher risk of poverty

due to the lack of an additional

earner, low rates of maintenance

payments, gender inequality in

employment and pay, and

childcare costs

Disabled people

31% of disabled people in the UK live in poverty

Poverty is especially high among families where

there is an adult who is disabled. If there is also

a disabled child, the poverty rate is 40%

Carers

37%of people providing 20 hours

of care or more each week are

living in poverty

By comparison, the rate

stands at 20% for non-carers

Black and minority ethnic groups

46% of children from minority ethnic groups

are in poverty

This is compared to 26% of children in

White British families

Working families

75%of children growing in poverty live in a

household where at least one person works

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Child poverty measurements

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2 in 5 school-children across the UK live below the poverty line but do not qualify for Free School Meals

This is poverty…

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“Money’s tighter as I’m spending more on gas, electricity, food than I usually would. I have had to borrow money from family, so it’s a never-ending cycle.”(Mum of four children)

What’s happening to child poverty (pre-Covid-19)?

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CONTEXT• £36bn a year cuts to

social security by 2021

• Over 50 separate cuts to tax credits & benefits

• Introduction & cuts to universal credit

Use of food banks has risen as cuts rolled out

Trussell Trust foodbank parcels:

•2011/12 – 128,697•2012/13 – 346,992•2013/14 – 913,138•2014/15 – 1,091,282 (399,644 children)•2015/16 – 1,112,395 (416,815)•2016/17 – 1,201,302 (443,421)•2017/18 – 1,354,388 (491,805)•2018/19 – 1,606,244 (585,511)•2019/20 – 1,906,625 (722,953)•2020/21 - 2,537,198 (980,082)

Why is child poverty rising?

• Low and stagnating wages, slow to rise• Rising costs – housing and childcare costs• £36bn per year less social security spending (OBR)• Around £4bn social security cuts per year still to come• Children 3 times as likely to be poor as pensioners• CB will have lost 23% of its 2010 value by 2020• Worth half of when introduced in 1979 (ResFo)• Child poverty act abolished in 2016

Why does child poverty matter?

The effects of child poverty should not be underestimated. Experiencing child poverty can undermine the health, wellbeing and educational attainment of children.

• Poorer children have worse cognitive, socio-behavioural, physical, and mental health

• In 2015 only 33% of students eligible for free school meals got five ‘good passes’ at GCSE, compared with 61% of those not eligible

• Respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis are more common in children growing up in poverty

• Young people living in more deprived areas are more likely to report lower life satisfaction than those living in less deprived areas

What are the implications of Covid-19 for children and families?

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JRF/Save the Children: A lifeline for our children

Job losses and sharp drops in income have pushed thousands of already struggling families further under. Families with children are forecast to be worst affected in longer term

We have all experienced the same storm, but we weren’t all in the same boat – some boats offered less protection that others

Previously financially secure families are now experiencing financial difficulty. It is estimated that an extra 200,000 children in the UK are likely to fall into poverty as a result of the pandemic (IPPR)

The impact of Covid-19

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 1m will be £35bn

The cost of child poverty

Policies for LAs to focus on

• Advice – welfare rights advice is early intervention • Reform Local Welfare Assistance Schemes• Provide local support for parental employment • High quality early childhood education & care• Children’s Centres – protect and revive• Extended schools – breakfast, after school and

holiday activities (including food)• Universal Free School Meals • Child mental health services – prioritise and develop• Unlock sports facilities and community assets

What are the costs of the school day?

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Poverty and education: Covid 19 - Cost of Learning in Lockdown June 2020

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Children and young people valued

being able to communicate with

their teachers whether online or

over the phone

1 in 3 who were most worriedabout money had to purchase a laptop, tablet or other device during lockdown.

40%of low income families said they

were missing at least one essential

resource.

My friend has lots of brothers and sisters and he can't get on his computer as much as me. I like learning new stuff. So does he but he can't do it as much as me. After lockdown he can come to visit and we can do our maths together. I will help him. (11 year old boy)

“We don’t have a laptop or computer. All the work assigned is meant to be done online, which isn’t an option for us. Unfortunately my daughter can’t access the same online lessons as the other children.” (Lone parent of two children)

We are currently borrowing a netbook from school as we didn't have one in working order… Felt left out and frustrated, a bit isolated… but much better now we have netbook. (Mum)

Cost barriers to learning and participationTravel“Sometimes we get phone calls - not every single week, but occasionally - to say that they've not been at school because they've no money for bus fare.” (Staff)

Learning “Aye. I didnae want to pay 50 pence on Home Eccies. I didn't want to pay that because I couldn't be bothered because then that takes money off my lunch money, and I was like, nah.”

School trips“My mum felt guilty that I couldn't go… Why do we have costly trips then? It puts people under pressure and it makes people embarrassed and disappointed if they can't go.”

School clubs“We used to get told we had to bring… old trainers to wear on the pitch. But everyone didn't have trainers.”

Fun events“You see one or two [at charity coffee mornings], you know, if they don't have it… ‘Got fifty pence?’. ‘No, no, it's okay. I don't want cakes.’ And that breaks my heart. Because that's maybe their defence.” (Staff)

Poverty, shame and stigma

Learning “Children have the embarrassment of us saying 'do you have your money? You can't cook today‘” (teacher)

Uniform“Shoes and bags, that’s one of the biggest things. There’s some people you get that are nasty and pure heavy cheeky.”“Some people get paid monthly and cannae even get new shoes until next month, but they expect it the next day.”School trips

“I think my grandad put some in, and my mum put some in, and the school put the rest in. And they were alright about that but then I still felt like some of my teachers were looking down on me for that.”

Friendships

“A lot of people, I think, that have maybe got a

lower income, round about the school, seem to

be isolated and they've no got a lot of friends.”

Eating at school“If your pals are going out at lunch you'll be a loner. It puts you out the group because they're going out and then you're sitting there on your own with a free meal.”

Pupil suggestions

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Identify different fundraising activities that don’t require pupil donations (e.g. bag packing in super markets, carol singing in local shopping centre).

When holding school events consider offering discounts for families with more than one child.

Offer one free activity at all school events

An affordable school year- spacing events

More learning in lessons and assemblies about poverty to make children and young people more open minded.

‘Chuck it in a bucket’ donations rather than rather than asking for specific sums.

Lending resources without trouble

Giving benefit of the doubt – no assumptions about financial situations

Ensuring costs as affordable as possible and supporting parents to afford it (e.g. flexible instalments for trips)

Modifying expectations and tasks; support to access ICT

Why consult with and involve your community?

Poverty involves shame and is often hidden

"I would find it too embarrassing for other parents to know I can’t afford it and also I don’t want my daughter labelled in any way so I go without food so that I can pay these constant charges.” (Parent)

“It would be hard to tell teachers why you didn’t have the right clothes.” (Pupil)

Prioritising the right things

“It’s worthwhile because we just didn’t know some of this information before. We can now proceed with the full picture.” (Teacher)

Bringing people along with you and finding the right solutions

• Why does my child need to miss out because others can’t pay?

• Why are you ruining all the fun?

• Doing things differently.

Points to consider in communities

• Financial barriers to participation will affect children everywhere

• Poverty is often hidden and the typical ‘poverty’ data won’t always be useful

• More families are struggling now than before Covid-19 • Raising awareness of poverty will benefit everyone• Ask, don’t assume• Poverty aware approaches,

polices and practices are key

What needs to happen next?

• Reform of UC to make it fit for the purpose• SSP is not enough to prevent people working• JSA – lowest level ever as proportion of av wkly earnings

(at around 14% av earnings before £20 uplift)• Least generous support in the OECD for single people

and third least generous for families with children • 43% UC recipients are food insecure• Powerful case for spending - money to low income

families is all spent in local economy – better investment in recovery than money to the better off

What needs to happen next?

• Retain £20 increase to UC and extend to legacy bens• £10 increase in child benefit, £10 increase in child

allowances in UC and tax credits, abolish benefit cap and 2-child policy

• £10 CB increase would reduce child poverty by 5% (compared to only 2% for £20 increase - less for couples)

• Extending FSMs to all on UC as step towards universal FSMs

Need a plan - to end child poverty

• Comprehensive government strategy needed• In NZ– child poverty reduction targets are part of a

child and family wellbeing strategy• Call it what you like – strategy on poverty and

inequality – the good society - happiness policy• Must be comprehensive and include reduction targets• Jacinda Ardern wants New Zealand to be the best

place in the world for children and YP to grow up• Shouldn’t we have a similar ambition?

The end

We’re all in it together?