Child Poverty Strategy: parents and carers research
This research aimed to understand how families living in poverty manage essential costs (including utilities, housing, food, health and school related costs), and the support available to help them with financial challenges. It also looked at their financial resilience, and experiences of managing debt and savings.
Documents
Details
Research background
In July 2024, the Prime Minister announced the creation of a new Ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce to develop a Child Poverty Strategy aimed at addressing systemic drivers of poverty. The Taskforce publicly committed to putting the direct testimonies of families at the heart of their work. As part of this public commitment, DWP commissioned this research with parents and carers to produce current insights from families living in poverty to help the Taskforce understand not only the impacts of poverty, but also wider support needs and considerations for this group when developing the Strategy.
Contribution to the evidence base
This research is part of a suite of supporting analytical products that have been used to inform the development of the UK Government’s Child Poverty Strategy.
Research value
The research has ensured that the voices of current parents and carers are heard and used in the development of the Child Poverty Strategy.
While recognising an existing wealth of published literature on poverty and child poverty, this research adds value through its bespoke nature and the fact that it is tailored to the direct areas of interest of the Taskforce. In particular the research has provided policy makers with a valuable understanding of how parents living in poverty experience managing essential costs and their financial resilience today, rather than in recent years, which is crucial.