‘We cannot afford to waste a generation’s potential’ says the Welsh Secretary
Children growing up in poverty are four times as likely to suffer mental health problems(Image: ©Sally Anscombe 2017 / GettyImages)
‘We cannot afford to waste a generation’s potential,” says Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens as the UK Government aims to help thousands of Welsh children in poverty.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will launch the Child Poverty Strategy on Friday at a children’s centre in south Wales, with First Minister Eluned Morgan, and meet families and children intended to benefit from the interventions.
There are 200,000 children in poverty in Wales and the Child Poverty Strategy aims to tackle the root causes by cutting essential costs and boosting family incomes.
It’s claimed that the scrapping of the two-child Universal Credit limit will benefit 69,000 children in Wales while other measures announced to tackle child poverty will see 320,000 families in Wales benefit from the first-ever sustained real terms increase in the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, £150 off energy bills for families, and up to 160,000 people in Wales benefitting from National Minimum and Living Wage increases.
The UK Government has said itwill also support families with the cost of essentials by helping them buy more affordable infant formula. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here
The cost of some infant formula brands has risen by 25% in two years, putting pressure on families who cannot or choose not to breastfeed.
The government will set clear rules for retailers to allow families to use loyalty points, vouchers, and gift cards to purchase formula – which it claims will save parents up to £540 in a baby’s first year and remove unnecessary barriers for low-income families.
The measures being announced by the UK Government aim to lift 550,000 UK children out of relative low income by the end of this parliament, with 7.1 million children seeing household incomes rise, including 1.4 million in deep material poverty – the largest planned reduction in UK child poverty by any government in a single parliament.
In Wales, many of the measures to alleviate child poverty are devolved. That is why at the budget the UK Government announced an extra £505 million for the Welsh Government – on top of the record £22.4 billion settlement announced earlier in the year at the spending review.
The Welsh Government was also given additional spending powers of £425 million at the budget, intended to allow it to invest further in vital public services.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Every child deserves the best possible start in life, with their future no longer determined by the circumstances of their birth.
“Yet too many children are growing up in poverty, held back from getting on in life, and too many families are struggling without the basics: a secure home, warm meals, and the support they need to make ends meet.
“I will not stand by and watch that happen, because the cost of doing nothing is too high for children, for families, and for Britain.
“This is a moral mission for me. It’s about fairness, opportunity, and unlocking potential. Our strategy isn’t just about reversing the failures of the past, it sets a new course for national renewal, with children’s life chances at its heart.”
First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, said: “I will never stop fighting to end child poverty and to give every child in Wales the best possible start in life.
“Welsh Government policies are making a real difference to people who most need our help; from expanding free Flying Start childcare across Wales, providing £200 towards school uniforms costs, ensuring every primary school pupil has a free, nutritious meal in school each day, to helping nearly 55,000 young people into education, training or work.
“While the Welsh Government is using every tool available to us in Wales, it’s vital our two governments work together to make real, lasting change. That’s why our two governments are working together to do all we can to create opportunities for every community.”
Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said: “Tackling child poverty is not just the right thing to do, it’s an investment in Wales’ future.
“There is a direct link between child poverty and poor educational outcomes and future unemployment – we cannot afford to waste a generation’s potential.
“This government has already announced measures that will lift thousands of children across Wales out of poverty and, working alongside Welsh Government, our new strategy will ensure that even more are given the opportunity to succeed.”
Shortly after the 2025 General Election, the Prime Minister set up a child poverty taskforce to bring together government and experts to explore how government could use all its available levers to drive down child poverty.
This strategy is said to be the first step on that road.
It comes as child poverty levels in the UK have reached a historic high. Today, 4.5 million children (200,000 in Wales) —around 31%—are living in relative poverty after housing costs – 900,000 more since 2010/11.
Around 2.6 million children (100,000 in Wales) are growing up in households without enough food, and last year 1.1 million (less than 50,000 in Wales) relied on food banks.
Children growing up in poverty are four times as likely to suffer mental health problems, less likely to achieve good GCSE results or do well at school, more likely to have poorer health and go on to earn less than their peers.
