A quarter of Welsh children live in poverty, new research shows
New research has shown that child poverty is present across nearly all areas of Wales, and at least a quarter of children live in poverty in every Welsh UK Parliamentary constituency bar two.
The research to understand local levels of child poverty, carried out by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition, provides new information on child poverty across Wales, with campaigners calling for the UK government to meet their commitment to reducing child poverty.
The study showed a strong positive correlation between the two-child limit and child poverty across Wales, adding to evidence that the policy is a major driver of child poverty. However, it also found that devolved policy measures can contribute to lowering child poverty rates.
Food banks
The new data also shows that the vast majority of constituencies (94%) are home to families where 1 in 4 children lives in poverty, highlighting that this is a problem affecting every community across the nation.
The End Child Poverty Coalition, representing over 135 organisations across the UK, is calling on the government to meet its manifesto commitment to address these high levels of child poverty in the Wales, and across the rest of the UK.
Rachel Walters, End Child Poverty Coalition Manager said: “No child in the Wales or beyond should have to experience poverty. These figures should demonstrate to government just how important it is to quickly address this so to prevent another generation of children from growing up in low-income families.
“The government’s strategy to tackle child poverty must invest in children in areas with higher levels of poverty. As a first step the government must scrap the two-child limit to benefit payments, a policy which continues to pull children into poverty every day!”
The new analysis also points to the fact that the actions of devolved governments can have an impact in reducing child poverty. The analysis shows that the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment has contributed to overall lower levels of poverty across Scotland.
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The way that the data is captured means that it is not possible to look at the impact of some of the Welsh Government’s flagship policies such as universal free school meals on child poverty in Wales. But the emerging picture in Scotland does highlight how devolved policy can support children and their families.
Dr Steffan Evans, Head of Policy (Poverty) at the Bevan Foundation, said: “Whilst many of the key levers to tackle child poverty still remain at Westminster, this latest analysis highlights just how important a role the Welsh Government has to play in support children and their families.
“The Welsh Government have taken many welcome steps over recent years to address child poverty such as the introduction of universal Free School Meals in primary schools and in updating the Education Maintenance Allowance to make sure it’s fit for purpose.
“The latest analysis highlights that there is a need for all political parties to be bolder in their commitments to end child poverty as attention turns to the Senedd election next year.”
The data below shows the 10 constituencies with the highest levels of child poverty in Wales.
Wales % of children living in poverty
Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney: 36%
Rhondda and Ogmore: 35%
Newport East: 35%
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare: 34%
Aberafan Maesteg: 34%
Clwyd North: 34%
Cardiff South and Penarth: 34%
Swansea West: 34%
Ceredigion Preseli: 33%
Mid and South Pembrokeshire: 33%
Reacting to the findings, a Youth Ambassador aged 20 from Wales said: “Child poverty in Wales isn’t just about lacking money – it’s about missing out on the things that make childhood special. Children are going without essentials like warm clothing, school trips, and even birthday parties.
“We need a government strategy that doesn’t just talk about change but delivers it – one that listens to our experiences and takes real action to ensure no child in Wales grows up feeling less because of their circumstances.”
Click here to read the full report and find out more about End Child Poverty.
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“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings.
The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
Winston Churchill, 1945.
Socialism is when you don’t treat low-income people as products of their own circumstances, not to be pitied or supported but treated with contempt? I think you have a basic empathy deficit.
The inevitable consequence of Toryism is the universal replacement of blessings with misery.
While no levels of child poverty are acceptable the linked report does highlight in this chart that child poverty in Wales is at the same level as the UK and lower than four English regions.
And the traditional political players in Wales are feeling the pinch from Reform, look back in history and you will see that this is no surprise. Fix poverty and inequailty and you will see Reform and the rise of the populist right melt away, but they seem unable to fix this, bar just offering paper (benefits – not work payed at fair rates – rip off rents – high bills – cost of living) to cover the cracks!
The Royal College of Physicians in Wales have called child poverty in Wales “staggering”, compared to Scotland and Nothern Ireland. Promises were made by Welsh Labour to reduce it considerably by 2026, which they have failed to do on a grand scale. With their myopic obsessions with road signs, cycle paths and other squandered millions on the increase of MS’s, giving trees to other parts of the world, purchasing thousands of non native saplings when they could have had native ones for free from a charity . Anyway they have decided that orange juice is not classed as a fruit… Read more »
Oh no, it’s John Ball and his hobby horse again….
The way out of poverty at all levels is sound, growing economy.
The Senedd has substantial economic development powers (how many times have I said this?) which it has had since the inception of the Assembly in 1999.
Ah well, nobody’s listening, especially the Labour government.
What one economic development policy would you have implemented in 1999 that could’ve turned Wales into one of the richest parts of the UK by now?