A recent study has exposed a troubling rise in child poverty in the West Midlands, with 39% of children living below the poverty line, a rate 9 percentage points higher than the national average. Conducted by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition, the report underscores child poverty as a critical issue for the region, particularly in the context of upcoming elections.

The findings reveal a stark variation in poverty rates across different areas, with disparities as wide as 35 percentage points. This highlights significant inequalities within the region, where some areas suffer from notably higher poverty rates than others. Additionally, 13% of children in the West Midlands are affected by the two-child limit on benefit payments, a policy that reduces support by up to £3,455 per child annually, further straining family finances. This policy impacts over 130,000 children in the region, a proportion higher than the national average of 10%.

Grace, a 20-year-old mother and Youth Ambassador for the End Child Poverty Coalition, shared, ‘Poverty has been a huge burden… I struggle to pay my bills due to inflation… My daughter is now having to watch me struggle… Everyone that is stuck in poverty feels like this horror is never going to end.’

Her experiences reflect broader challenges faced by many families in the region. Claire Atchia McMaster, Director of Income and External Affairs at Turn2us, stresses the need for urgent political action: ‘Whoever wins the election urgently needs to address lifting children out of poverty. Rising costs and stalling wages are making it impossible for families to make ends meet. Across the West Midlands, parents are having to use food banks to feed their children, and babies are being born into homes where parents can’t afford to keep their houses warm in winter. In the run-up to the election and beyond, we urge political leaders to listen to families’ experiences and design a compassionate and fair social security system that works for everyone. This must begin with abolishing the punitive and ineffective two-child limit policy. Families across the UK want a system that supports and reassures anyone struggling to get by—a system we can all be proud of.’

The economic burden of child poverty extends beyond the immediate hardships faced by families, costing the UK an estimated £39 billion annually. The End Child Poverty Coalition advocates for lifting the two-child limit, a move that could elevate 300,000 children out of poverty nationwide at a projected cost of £1.8 billion.

Turn2us supports families through practical tools like their Benefits Calculator, which helped over 115,000 users in the West Midlands access new benefits in 2023. The full report, ‘Local indicators of child poverty after housing costs, 2022/23,’ available on the End Child Poverty Coalition’s website, provides a comprehensive analysis of the issue, using a measure that reflects income after essential housing expenses.

As the West Midlands confronts this escalating crisis, it is evident that significant policy changes are necessary to address the root causes of child poverty and provide a sustainable pathway out of deprivation for affected families.

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