Tests for the child poverty strategy: will it help young people today?

Today the End Child Poverty Coalition published ‘8 Tests’ that it wants the government to meet, when the Tackling Child Poverty Strategy is launched in Spring 2025.

Here a Youth Ambassador – aged 17 reflects on what it would mean to her, and other young people growing up in poverty if these tests were met.

One of the most important tests for me is that the government involve people with personal experience of child poverty when developing their plan. I believe that it so very important for the views and perspectives of young people and those in poverty are at centre of the strategy because we experience the affects every day, we know what causes the struggles and we know what will be a solution to them, if we’re at the forefront of the strategy we will feel hope for the future.

When we hear of government plans, we’re hopeful however we don’t have full confidence in them all the time because it’s hard to know what their intentions are and what is truth, especially in the area I live in which is one with high levels of poverty. if they were to involve and include those in poverty it would give us hope and confidence in the plan – knowing a change is coming, a hope that many young people don’t feel because of the lack of equal opportunities presented to us from a young age.

I also believe scrapping the two child limit would help so much, I am a child of 6 and I know without the support it would have been so much harder for my mom, it is unnecessary and harmful to both parents and children.

I also believe that it is very important for there to be more offers and opportunities for work and transport but it can be a hard cycle to navigate otherwise, you need to work which you may have to travel for, you will need to send your children to nursery if they’re under 4 and both of those things cost money. If you need to work to have the money necessary to send your child to daycare and to travel to work but you can’t go to work because you don’t have the money to pay for those things it’s an unnecessary obstacle that could be tackled through proper funding and support

Children with disabilities are definitely highly at risk of growing up in poverty in my experience, being able to afford travel to the hospital, staying in a hotel if necessary, buying food whilst in the hospital, buying equipment and things necessary for the child while at home are very expensive and practically unaffordable for so many people.

I really hope the government takes on board the recommendations in this document. It could make such a big difference for me, and others living in similar situations.