‘Mouldy or full of rats’: Children in England face almost-Dickensian levels of poverty
Children going without heating in ‘almost-Dickensian’ poverty
- The Children’s Commissioner has warned that some young people in England are experiencing "almost-Dickensian" levels of poverty, citing examples such as black mould, no heating, and a lack of places to wash.
- Official estimates for the year to March 2024 indicate a record 4.45 million children were living in poverty across the UK.
- The Commissioner's report strongly advocates for the government to scrap the two-child benefit limit, arguing it is fundamental to any child poverty strategy.
- Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson suggested that recent financial pressures could make it more difficult to abolish the two-child benefit cap, despite calls from various campaign groups.
- Beyond scrapping the limit, the Commissioner also urged for a "triple-lock" for child-related benefits, reforms to temporary accommodation, free bus travel for school children, and enhanced safety measures in low-income areas.