In a show of unity, 35 senior faith leaders from across the UK have appealed to the government to take a “bold, and ambitious” approach in its upcoming Child Poverty Strategy.
The call was made in an open letter to education secretary Bridget Philipson and work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall, who are the co-chairs of the Ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce.
The letter is backed by representatives of the six dominant religions in the UK, including Rt Rev John Arnold, the Bishop of Salford; Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury; Bea Hulme, Youth President of the Methodist Church in Britain; Nicola Brady, General Secretary for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and other leaders from Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim communities.
Together they warn that without decisive action, “an additional 400,000 children” could “be pulled into poverty over the next decade".
“We welcome the government’s acknowledgement in its manifesto that the UK’s increasing levels of child poverty and reliance on emergency food are a ‘moral scar’ on our nation,” the letter reads.
“It is clear that this is not a time for half measures. We have seen the challenges faced by our neighbours become harder and harder.
"We’ve also seen communities step up time and again to provide support through debt centres, food banks, food pantries and warm hubs, as well as by simply providing welcoming spaces for those who need them.
"Millions are fed and supported because communities have risen to the challenge of ever-increasing poverty and hardship."
According to research titled ‘Paying the Price’ by Action for Children, there are currently, 4.3 million children in the UK who are living in poverty. An effective strategy could lift 1.2 million children out of poverty by the end of this decade, the letter states.
Recommendations include scrapping the two-child benefit limit and the benefit cap - which they estimate would free 600,000 children from poverty by 2030, although at a cost of £3.9 billion annually.
They also urge “action to reform and invest in a more effective social security system, and steps to boost social housing and improve opportunities for income from employment".
The President of the Methodist Conference, Rev Helen Cameron, said that government action is overdue: “The levels of child poverty we are seeing in communities across the UK cannot be acceptable … We know it is possible to significantly reduce child poverty, and a social security system that enables families to afford the essentials will be a central pillar.
“The government must demonstrate that tackling poverty is a priority and make ambitious choices. We pray that the government’s strategy will rise to the challenges we face."
Martyn Snow, the Bishop Leicester, echoed this sentiment: “Every child is a precious gift and should have the opportunity to flourish. Yet the scourge of poverty we see in our country today has profound implications on their health, wellbeing and life chances.
"Churches will continue to play their part in supporting children and their families experiencing hardship, meeting need where we find it, and advocating for policies which address structural challenges.
"An ambitious child poverty strategy would make a significant difference in the communities we live in and among.”
Louise, a 24-year-old single mother and care leaver from London, who entered foster care at 11, said that achieving financial independence without family support often felt overwhelming.
As a mother, she was driven to give her daughter better opportunities but struggled with the pressure, relying on Universal Credit and falling into her overdraft despite working as much as possible to cover childcare costs.
“The impact of growing up in poverty is huge. It affected me physically, mentally and emotionally. Not eating enough food as a child affects your health, weight and concentration. You feel angry and confused,” she said.
She continued, “Not eating enough as a child affects your health and your ability to learn. Now, even though I work, I rely on Universal Credit just to pay for childcare. That’s not right. Families like mine need real support to break the cycle.
“A child can’t understand why they’re excluded from school trips with their friends, or why they don’t have new clothes. You feel different. I felt like I was being punished. I didn’t understand we just didn’t have the money."
She added, “I think there is more support needed not just for young people leaving care, but also for families with young children on low incomes, to help people stay in work, care for their children and thrive."
The faith leaders closed their letter with a plea, “While we come from different faith traditions, we share a belief that working to end poverty should be a hallmark of any decent, compassionate society. We also believe that transformational change is possible. We are hopeful that the Child Poverty Strategy could be a turning point for the communities we serve, and we are ready to work in partnership with people of goodwill across society to ensure that every child has the start in life they deserve.”
