Every child deserves the essentials to thrive - healthy food, a warm home, toys, clothes...

What does growing up in poverty mean for a child?

Poverty can affect a child's:

• Food: They might not have much choice of food. They might miss out on important food like protein and fresh vegetables, because these are more expensive. When things get bad, they might need to rely on a foodbank. Sometimes, their parents may skip meals.
• School life: School should be an equal playing field. But not having enough money leaves children feeling left out. They can miss exciting trips, or not be able to join a sports team. If they don't have the right uniform, like an expensive branded blazer, they may be told off, or even taken out of lessons. If space is tight at home, they might struggle to get their homework done.
• Education: All this can lead to a child falling behind. Poverty often holds a child back from achieving their full potential. Whether that's learning to read in their early years, or getting top grades at GCSE. This makes it harder to get the jobs or further education they want.

Not every child and family will have the same experience of poverty. But across the UK, too many are facing its cruel realities. That’s why we're campaigning for a fairer social security system which keeps families safe, rather than pushing them into poverty.