The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) report finds:
- In 2022/23, 21% of the UK population was in poverty, totalling 14.3 million people. This included 4.3 million children.
- Children have higher risks of poverty overall especially in large families.
- Policies like the two-child limit and benefit cap disproportionately impact larger families, reversing earlier reductions in child poverty.
- Children have consistently had the highest poverty rates, while pensioners, along with working-age adults without children, now have the lowest.
- Over the past 20 years, poverty levels in Britain have remained largely unchanged.
- In 2022/23, 6 million people were in very deep poverty with incomes far below the standard poverty line.
- Minority ethnic groups, disabled individuals, informal carers, people in workless households, social and private renters, and benefit claimants all face significantly higher poverty rates due to additional costs, work barriers, financial penalties, housing costs, and inadequate benefits.
- Poverty rates are similar in England, Wales, and Scotland (around 21-22%) but lower in Northern Ireland (17%).
RCPCH Officer for Health Improvement, Dr Helen Stewart, said:
This year’s JRF report paints a harrowing picture of Britain's socioeconomic landscape, showing that poverty levels have remained unchanged for the past 20 years.
Stubborn rates of child poverty are of great concern due to the profound and lasting effects on children's health and well-being. Poverty can impact every area of a child’s life, it increases children’s risk of poor physical health, mental health issues, and even developmental delays. Every child deserves the healthiest and best possible start in life. Poverty, especially child poverty, has no place in our society.
The upcoming child poverty strategy will give government the opportunity to finally take immediate and decisive action in this area. We are urging Government to prioritise the welfare of our children and safeguard our future society.