Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared tackling child poverty the "moral mission" of his government, as he unveils a major new strategy designed to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of the decade.
Writing exclusively for The Mirror, Starmer condemned the record levels of hardship left by the previous Conservative administration, stating it was an "absolute disgrace" that 4.45 million children were living in poverty when Labour took office. He vowed that no child should be forced to endure cold bedrooms, skip meals, or wear worn-out school uniforms.
Core Policies of the Landmark Strategy
The long-awaited child poverty strategy, published on Friday the 5th of December 2025, centres on several key interventions. The most significant is the abolition of the controversial two-child benefit limit, a policy introduced by former Chancellor George Osborne in 2017.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the £3 billion move in last week's Budget, a decision hailed by anti-poverty charities. Downing Street states that scrapping this limit alone will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, calling it a "failed policy experiment that punished children."
Alongside this, the government announced a boost to childcare support for families on Universal Credit. From 2026, rules will change to help parents returning from parental leave by extending eligibility for upfront childcare cost payments, removing a barrier that often prevents people from re-entering the workforce.
Tackling the Housing Crisis for Families
The strategy also takes direct aim at the scandal of families trapped in unsuitable temporary accommodation. An £8 million emergency fund will be used to end the unlawful practice of placing families with children in Bed and Breakfasts for longer than the legal six-week limit.
Official figures show a record 172,420 children were living in temporary accommodation earlier this year, with 3,340 households with children in B&Bs. Councils will now have a legal duty to notify schools and health services when a child is placed in such accommodation.
The government has pledged to work with the NHS to specifically "end the practice of mothers with newborns being discharged to B&Bs or other forms of unsuitable housing."
Reactions and the Road Ahead
Education Secretary and child poverty taskforce co-chair Bridget Phillipson described child poverty as "a stain on our country," calling the strategy an "historic moment." Her counterpart, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, also co-chairs the taskforce launched after Labour entered government in summer 2024.
Charities offered cautious praise. Katie Schmuecker of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said the government had "put its money where its mouth is." Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, welcomed the scrapping of the two-child limit but stressed that with record high levels, the strategy's publication was "only the first step."
However, Big Issue founder Lord John Bird criticised the plan for lacking "ambitious targets," warning that without them, progress could stall.
Starmer, who is visiting a children's centre in Wales to mark the launch, framed the issue in stark political terms. "People will tell you politics doesn’t make a difference," he said. "But the difference on child poverty could not be clearer. Tory Governments let it rise. Labour Governments cut it."
