The UK government has released its flagship Child Poverty Strategy, which it estimates will lift 550,000 children out of poverty. There are currently 4.5 million children in poverty across the UK.
Research from the Mental Health Foundation shows that a person experiencing poverty is much more likely to experience a mental health problem, and vice versa. Findings by the charity also suggest household finances are one of the biggest opportunities for the UK government to reduce unequal mental health outcomes.
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said:
“Our research shows that poverty is probably the most powerful cause of poor mental health. If plans to lift more than half a million children out of poverty are effective, this strategy will be a significant achievement for the UK government, and reduce the lifetime risk of poor mental health for a particularly vulnerable group.. While we already knew about many of the policies contained in this strategy, such as the abolition of the two-child benefit limit, they are nonetheless welcome departures from previous policy choices which have led to 4.5 million children growing up impoverished. In particular, abolishing the two-child limit will have an extraordinary impact on many families.
“However, this strategy will still leave nearly 4 million children experiencing poverty. This is an unacceptable blight on our society. The next step for the UK government must be to build on this strategy, and come up with plans to address issues such as poor quality and low paid work, poverty stigma, and inequality faced by groups such as racialised communities and asylum seekers.”