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This UNICEF UK parliamentary briefing reveals a sharp rise in child poverty across the UK over the last decade. Between 2013 and 2023, the UK recorded the largest increase in relative child income poverty among 37 high income countries and the largest rise in deep poverty compared with EU nations. These increases have unfolded alongside a £3.6 billion real terms decline in spending on children between 2018 and 2024, driven largely by cuts to cash support such as the two child limit and the benefit cap.
The report highlights the urgent need for renewed investment, stating that removing the two child limit and abolishing the benefit cap could immediately lift 400,000 children out of poverty, and reduce the severity of poverty for nearly 1 million more. UNICEF warns that child poverty not only harms children’s health, learning and life outcomes but also costs the UK an estimated £39 billion per year in lost revenue and increased public spending. The briefing positions the Autumn Budget and upcoming Child Poverty Strategy as pivotal moments for action.
