As many families struggle with rising cost of living, more and more children are pulled into poverty. The appalling scale of poverty across the country is something the Citizens Advice advisers witness every day. Stagnant wages and the sky-high cost of essentials have pushed many families into a negative budget, where their income fails to cover the cost of essential outgoings.
Citizens Advice data shows a worrying increase in the number of households with children needing crisis support. Citizens Advice advisers hear every day from parents who are skipping meals or cutting back on other essentials to put food on the table for their children. Housing costs are a particular challenge, with many families living in overcrowded, poor quality housing, which can have serious impacts on children’s health and wellbeing.
The government is due to release its Child Poverty strategy later this year, and the scale of the challenge is huge. If it succeeds, it could pull thousands of children out of poverty, allowing them to focus on their education and future. If it fails we face a future where many children's entire childhoods are unfairly restricted by poverty.
During this Data Insights event, Citizens Advice will explore the experiences of children in poverty. We’ll examine our data to show the realities many families face and explore levers the government could pull to create a society where every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Speakers
- Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice
- Baroness (Ruth) Lister of Burtersett, Member of the House of Lords and Emeritus Professor, Loughborough University
- Rachel Walters, Manager, End Child Poverty Coalition
- Sophie, Youth Ambassador, End Child Poverty Coalition
- Natalya Robson, Schools Caseworker, Schools Advice Project, Stockton and District Advice and Information Service