The Government is facing increasing pressure to address child poverty as a new survey reveals that one in 10 parents in financial hardship report their children being bullied for being poor. The findings, published by the charity Parentkind, shed light on the “devastating impact” of poverty on families, particularly when it comes to school-related costs.
Financial struggles and school costs
A Censuswide survey conducted at the end of last year polled 2,000 UK parents of school-aged children living on the lowest incomes. The results showed that, on average, these families spend approximately £2,000 annually on school-related expenses such as uniforms, transport, school trips, and extracurricular activities. Alarmingly, almost a quarter of the parents surveyed admitted to getting into debt just to cover these costs.
Additionally, around one in eight parents reported receiving food parcels from their child’s school, highlighting the increasing reliance on support systems due to financial hardship.
Parentkind has described the findings as “shocking,” arguing that urgent action is needed to reduce the financial burden of education on the poorest families. The charity has sent a report to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, urging the Government to take immediate steps to alleviate the financial strain on struggling households.
Calls for action ahead of government’s child poverty strategy
The Government is expected to publish its long-awaited child poverty strategy this spring, following repeated calls from charities and advocacy groups to take decisive action. Campaigners have consistently urged ministers to scrap the controversial two-child benefit limit, which they say is exacerbating child poverty.
Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, stressed the urgency of addressing school-related costs, stating:
“Parents living in poverty are spending huge amounts of what little money they have on sending their children to school. That can’t be right.
“We need the government to urgently start talking about parents in poverty alongside child poverty plans to make sure we support these parents.
“Pushing down on school costs by committing to an ambitious target of halving school costs in five years is a good first step.”
Elsom further emphasised that if schools were free for these families, it would effectively increase their household budgets by a fifth or more. He suggested that such measures should appeal to ministers, particularly as they navigate difficult decisions on welfare spending.
Impact on children’s mental wellbeing
The National Education Union (NEU) has also spoken out about the impact of poverty on children’s mental health. General Secretary Daniel Kebede said:
“With nine children in every class of 30 growing up in poverty, teachers and school leaders see the very real impact this has on our children and young people.
“This report highlights how many families across Britain are struggling with everyday costs – and the devastating impact this is having on the mental wellbeing of both children and their parents.”
Kebede urged the Government to seize the opportunity presented by the upcoming Child Poverty Strategy to lift thousands of families out of hardship, stressing that the issue must be tackled head-on to ensure every child has an equal opportunity in education.
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Government response
The Department for Education has acknowledged the concerns raised in the report and insists that tackling child poverty remains a key priority. A spokesperson said:
“We are determined to tackle the scourge of child poverty and break the unfair link between background and opportunity – and have already taken wide-ranging action despite this Government’s incredibly challenging fiscal inheritance.
“The first 750 schools will begin offering free breakfast clubs from April, backed by over £30 million, and we are capping the number of branded school uniform items to keep the costs down for parents.
“More widely, we have increased pupil premium funding to over £2.9 billion for the financial year 2024-25, and the child poverty taskforce is working to deliver an ambitious strategy to tackle challenges felt by those living in poverty.”
Despite these measures, campaigners remain sceptical about whether the Government’s plans will go far enough to address the root causes of child poverty. With official statistics on low-income households due to be published this week, the extent of the crisis is likely to be laid bare once again, increasing pressure on ministers to take stronger action.
As families across the country struggle with rising costs, many will be looking to the Government’s upcoming strategy to provide meaningful solutions. The question remains: will it go far enough to ensure that no child is left behind due to financial hardship?
