Ending Child Poverty

On Sunday 23 March, senior Faith leaders from across the country issued an urgent call for the government to be ‘bold and ambitious’ in its forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy. The call came in an open letter to the co-chairs of the Ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce – Bridget Philipson (Secretary of State for Education) and Liz Kendall (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions). The letter was signed by 35 senior faith leaders from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist traditions. It was coordinated by the Joint Public Issues Team of the Baptist Union, Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland.

Currently 4.3 million children – three in 10 children in the UK – are living in poverty, and without further action a further 400,000 are likely to be pulled into poverty by the end of the decade. The Prime Minister promised during the last election that his Government would introduce an ambitious plan to lift ‘millions’ of children out of poverty.

The letter says: ‘We write to you as faith leaders from communities across the UK, to encourage you to be bold and ambitious in your upcoming Child Poverty Strategy. While we come from different faith traditions, we share a belief that working to end poverty should be a hallmark of any decent, compassionate society. We also believe that transformational change is possible. We are hopeful that the Child Poverty Strategy could be a turning point for the communities we serve, and we are ready to work in partnership with people of goodwill across society to ensure that every child has the start in life they deserve.’

The letter highlights the findings from ‘Paying the Price’, a new report from Action for Children released this week, which sets out measures that could lift 1.2 million children out of poverty by 2030. These include action to reform and invest in a more effective social security system, and steps to boost social housing and improve opportunities for income from employment. The research found that the single most cost-effective step would be scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap.

Revd Helen Cameron, President of the Methodist Conference, said, ‘The levels of child poverty we are seeing in communities across the UK cannot be acceptable. With communities trying to pick up the pieces and support families who are struggling, it’s time for the government to step up too. We know it is possible to significantly reduce child poverty, and a social security system that enables families to afford the essentials will be a central pillar. The government must demonstrate that tackling poverty is a priority and make ambitious choices. We pray that the government’s strategy will rise to the challenges we face.’

Action for Children is inviting people to add their support to an open letter and write to their MP about the Child Poverty Strategy. Access the information at https://actionforchildren.uk/PayingThePrice-Faith.