Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared tackling child poverty a 'moral mission' for his government, launching a comprehensive strategy designed to lift more than half a million children out of hardship by the end of the decade.
Writing as the long-awaited child poverty blueprint was published, Starmer drew a stark political contrast, stating: 'People will tell you politics doesn’t make a difference. But the difference on child poverty could not be clearer. Tory Governments let it rise. Labour Governments cut it.'
The strategy reveals that by 2010, the last Labour government had reduced the number of children in relative low income by 600,000 compared to 1997. However, it states this progress has been 'reversed' since, with a record 4.45 million children now living in poverty across the UK.
Scrapping the Two-Child Benefit Limit
The cornerstone of the new plan is the abolition of the controversial two-child benefit limit, a policy introduced by the Conservative government in 2017. This rule restricts Universal Credit and Child Tax Credits to the first two children in a family.
The limit will be scrapped in April 2026, a move Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed in last week's Budget. The government estimates this single measure will lift 450,000 children out of poverty. The strategy document asserts that removing the limit is 'the most cost-effective way' to drive down child poverty rates and is fundamentally 'the right thing to do'.
'In modern Britain,' it adds, 'the number of brothers and sisters a child has should not determine whether or not they will go hungry tonight.' The majority of families set to benefit from this change are understood to be in work.
Expanding Free School Meals and Breakfast Clubs
Further key measures include a significant expansion of free school meals. The government has already announced that all children in England whose parents receive Universal Credit will now be eligible.
This expansion, alongside the roll-out of free breakfast clubs in primary schools across England, is projected to lift a further 100,000 children out of relative low income by 2030. Overall, the policy will mean over half a million more children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds receive a free, nutritious lunch every school day.
In a related move to ease financial pressure on families, ministers plan to force schools in England to limit the number of compulsory branded uniform and PE kit items to three from September 2026, a change estimated to save parents around £50 per child.
Ending Unsuitable Temporary Accommodation
The strategy also takes aim at the housing crisis affecting families. The government has pledged to end the 'unlawful placement' of families with children in Bed and Breakfast accommodation beyond the legal six-week limit, backed by an £8 million emergency fund.
Official figures show a record 172,420 children were living in temporary accommodation earlier this year, including 3,340 households with children in B&Bs. New rules will also require councils to notify schools, health visitors, and GPs when a child is placed in such accommodation.
A specific commitment has been made to work with the NHS to 'end the practice of mothers with newborns being discharged to B&Bs or other forms of unsuitable housing'.
Childcare Boost for Universal Credit Families
Among newly unveiled measures is a targeted boost to childcare support for families on Universal Credit. From 2026, rules will be changed to make it easier for parents receiving the benefit to return to work.
Eligibility for upfront childcare costs will be extended to those returning from parental leave, addressing a significant barrier. Downing Street noted that many people starting or returning to work struggle to cover these initial fees before receiving their first payslip.
Combined with previously announced policies like increasing the minimum wage and reforming the warm homes discount, the government states its full package of measures will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by the year 2030.
