End Child Poverty Coalition presses government over Child Poverty Strategy

The End Child Poverty Coalition, of which the BPS is a member, has called on the government's Child Poverty Strategy to have legally binding targets and enhance support for families who rely on social security if it wants to be successful.

The Coalition, which compromises over 120 charities, has developed eight tests for the upcoming strategy which is set to be published by the government in the spring. They are based on their collective expertise and conversations with families who have experienced poverty as well as frontline professionals.

Together, the Coalition is advocating for the government to set a clear target of halving child poverty in the next ten years, and completely eradicate it in the next twenty, through a series of measures including:

• Legally binding targets set out in a Child Poverty Act, holding all levels of government in the four nations accountable for real progress.
• Additional tailored support for children and families most likely to experience poverty, acknowledging the multiple challenges they might experience on top of poverty. A shift is needed, the Coalition claims, where funding and social security must be considered a down payment for healthier, happier generations in the future and adequate support for children and families now.
• Fundamental reform to the social security system. 

Read about the 8 tests in full here

Read more about the End Child Poverty Coalition

Image