by Styliana Pasiardi, Policy and Campaigns Manager
The government has published its Child Poverty Strategy – a significant step toward tackling poverty and improving outcomes for children.
In this blog, we explore how the strategy compares to the recommendations from our research on the link between family poverty and children entering care, which was completed by our research assistant volunteer, Amber.
What We Called For
Our research highlighted urgent actions to reduce poverty and prevent children entering care, including:
- Abolish the two-child limit and benefits cap
- Increase Universal Credit by £20 per week
- Provide better resources for children’s social care
- Implement long-term solutions to the cost-of-living crisis
- Address structural inequalities affecting children’s lives
What the Strategy Includes
The government’s strategy introduces several positive measures:
1. Removing Barriers
- Two-child limit abolished
- Acknowledgement of poverty as a key factor in care entry
Research shows rising child poverty between 2015–2020 contributed to an estimated 10,000 additional children entering care. Children in care often face poorer outcomes in education, health, housing, and employment.
2. Investment in Children’s Social Care
- £2.4 billion for the Families First Partnership programme to deliver early intervention for up to 400,000 families
- £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund to help councils prevent household crises
- Expansion of Best Start Family Hubs in disadvantaged areas
3. Financial Support for Families
- Sustained above-inflation increase to Universal Credit (worth £725 annually for single parents; £1,135 for couples by 2029/30)
- National Living Wage rising to £12.71 (April 2026)
- £600 million for Holiday Activities and Food programme
- Warm Homes Discount extended to 2.7 million households
- Free school meals for all children in households receiving Universal Credit
4. Structural Reforms
- £5 billion Pride in Place Programme for 244 high-need areas, empowering communities to invest in local priorities
- Multi-year local government funding settlement and Fair Funding Review.
- Fair Repayment Rate in Universal Credit, reducing deductions cap to 15%, helping 1 million households retain an average of £420/year
- A new deep material poverty metric, which will consider the extra costs of disability
What’s Missing
Despite progress, key recommendations from our research were not included:
- Essentials Guarantee: Set UC to at least £120/week for singles and £200/week for couples
- Adjust benefits using Household Cost Index
- Strategies to boost parental and child educational aspirations
- Consistent application of the Equality Act (2010) definition of disability in social care data and research
- Better data collection for disabled looked-after children
- Clear anti-poverty and anti-racist policies within the care system
- Support for care leavers and prevention of placement breakdowns
Disabled children remain insufficiently recognised as a distinct priority group, despite evidence that disabled people face a poverty rate of 29% compared to 9% for non-disabled people, and are more likely to experience deep poverty (JRF, 2023a).
Reflections
The Child Poverty Strategy marks a positive step forward, but to truly transform lives, it must go further – recognising disabled children, tackling structural inequalities, and ensuring resources reach those most in need. While increased incomes and financial support can ease pressure on families, targeted interventions for children in care and those facing multiple disadvantages remain critical. Strong local partnerships are essential for early intervention, particularly for families with SEND or children in care. This strategy is a step in the right direction, but the journey to ending child poverty is far from complete.
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