The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed a major plan to track progress on lifting 550,000 children out of poverty. The DWP and the Labour Party government have unveiled the Child Poverty Strategy, which includes early actions such as scrapping the two-child limit and expanding free school meals.
Early actions and metrics
According to the DWP, early action has been taken to drive down poverty, including scrapping the two-child limit and expanding free school meals from September 2026. A £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund has also been launched. Together, these measures are expected to lift around 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament.
Progress will be measured against two headline metrics: relative low income after housing costs and deep material poverty. The report sets out a broad programme of research and analysis to track progress, including a new four-year study of parents and carers in or near poverty, which will examine how families' circumstances, incomes and sources of support change, and how the strategy is experienced in practice. Lived experience research, cross-government policy evaluation, and contextual indicators covering the key drivers of child poverty will also be used.
Government statements
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Tackling child poverty is one of the most important things this Government can do, giving the next generation their best chance of secure jobs and healthier lives. We’ve already made a start, scrapping the two-child limit and launching our £1bn Crisis and Resilience Fund are making a real difference. This baseline report shows we are taking a serious, evidence-led approach to tackling child poverty, driving forward the change that gives every child the security and opportunity to thrive.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson added: “I understand the very real hardship families face when money is tight - and the pain of wanting to give your child every opportunity to succeed, while struggling just to get by. That is why we are investing in the practical support that makes a real difference - including our historic expansion of free school meals and the removal of the two-child limit, rolling out free breakfast clubs and affordable childcare across the country. Together, these represent the largest reduction in child poverty in a single parliament since records began. This report sets out how we will measure the impact of that support and hold ourselves accountable, so that every child, whatever their background, has the foundation they need to flourish.”
