END CHILD POVERTY COALITION RESPONDS TO GOVERNMENT PLANS TO CUT DISABILITY BENEFITS: REDUCING DISABILITY PAYMENTS WOULD DEEPEN CHILD POVERTY

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18th March 2025

For immediate release

 

End child poverty Coalition responds to government plans to cut disability benefits: Reducing Disability payments would deepen child poverty

 

In response to today’s announcement on government plans to cut incapacity and disability benefits

Anela Anwar, CEO of Z2K and member of the End Child Poverty Coalition says;

 

“The proposed cuts announced today would deepen child poverty and call into question the government’s commitment to reduce child poverty. One in four people in receipt of incapacity benefits has dependent children and many of these families are already struggling to afford the essentials. So, at a time when the government is developing a strategy to reduce child poverty – it is shocking that it is also proposing to make significant cuts to family incomes.”

 

A Youth Ambassador for the End Child Poverty Coalition from the South East of England says;

 

“I am a young person who has grown up in a low-income family. Exactly the type of young person the government’s child poverty strategy should be helping. But I am also impacted by this announcement on disability payments. I receive PIP for my mental health condition. If this money is taken away, or reduced, then I would also stop receiving mental health support. This leaves me in a really desperate situation and now I am so anxious about whether they’ll be stopped which doesn’t help anything!”

 

A Youth Ambassador for the End Child Poverty Coalition from the West Midlands says;

 

“I have just turned 18 and am growing up in a low-income household. These changes to PIP could really impact me and my family, my parents are currently both carers for my siblings and would likely have to go back to work, leaving me and my siblings without a carer, which we need to have. I might lose my car, so transport costs would increase for us too. It would really harm us financially and emotionally we probably wouldn’t be able to afford many clothes or healthy food it would be a really big struggle.”

 

The government plans to launch its strategy to tackle child poverty in the Spring. The End Child Poverty Coalition, of over 130 organisations, has repeatedly called for further investment into the social security system, to lift families out of poverty. This announcement will instead see money taken away from vulnerable families with children.

 

ENDS

 

Notes to editors

 

  1. The End Child Poverty coalition (www.endchildpoverty.org.uk) is made up of over 130 organisations from civic society including children’s charities, child welfare organisations, social justice groups, faith groups, trade unions and others, united in our vision of a UK free of child poverty. These include Child Poverty Action Group, The Children’s Society, Buttle UK, Gingerbread, Oxfam GB, Action for Children, TUC, Save the Children, and the National Children’s Bureau.

 

  1. Z2K are a leading anti-poverty charity working to end UK poverty through providing expert frontline advice and representation services and campaigning for change. They are a Steering Group member of the End Child Poverty Coalition.

 

  1. You can get in touch with the coalition by emailing rachel@endchildpoverty.org.uk or on 07918 567577.

 

 

 

 

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