Bold and urgent action needed to stem child poverty crisis
published on 29 Jan 2025
Bold and urgent action needed to stem child poverty crisis
The Salvation Army responds to JRF’s annual UK Poverty report and urges Government to urgently tackle the widening gap between the welfare state safety net and the cost of living.
With JRF reporting that 4.3 million children are living in poverty in the UK, the church and charity wants to see the Government reverse this crisis in its upcoming child poverty strategy.
David Betteridge, Director of Family Ministries at The Salvation Army said: “For people who are fortunate enough to live comfortable lives, it can be hard to imagine the struggle faced by families on the lowest incomes. But every day our officers see desperate families who simply do not have enough income to live on. This is having a devastating impact on millions of children and this crisis needs to be tackled urgently.
“Our broken social security system is out of step with reality, and needs fixing so that families can afford to keep a roof over their heads, as well as essentials like food, heating and clothing.
“The Government should start by reversing the two-child limit, a policy that is directly contributing to child poverty, and implement an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ to ensure benefits cover the cost of living.
“Bold and urgent action is needed if we are to lift children out of grinding poverty and give them a start in life they deserve.”
The Salvation Army is also calling on Government to:
- Reverse the planned freeze of the Local Housing Allowance (in April 2025) so people on low incomes who are eligible for help get the support they are entitled to and are relieved of the threat of homelessness.
- Introduce an Essentials Guarantee within Universal Credit, which means the basic rate of benefits at least covers life’s essentials and that support can never be pulled below that level.
- Reduce the five-six week wait for a first Universal Credit payment to two weeks at a minimum. The JRF annual UK Poverty report can be viewed here: https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2025-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk
