West Midlands is UK's child poverty capital with a third below the breadline, shocking report shows

A shocking new report has laid bare the grim reality for thousands of children in the region, with 38.4 per cent living in poverty compared to 29.2 per cent nationally.

Furthermore, the report shows that 48 per cent of children in single parent households are living in poverty, compared to the national figure of 44 per cent.

In comparison, only a quarter of children in dual parent households across the country are living in poverty.

These shocking statistics have been revealed in a report today by the End Child Poverty Coalition, a spokesperson for whom said: "While we know growing up in a single parent household doesn’t impact a child’s life chances, experiencing poverty does.

"These new figures show that almost half of children in single parent households in the area will experience the disadvantage and stigma of living in poverty."

Additionally, in every region of the UK, children from Black or minority communities are at an increased risk of being in poverty, as are children in receipt of disability living allowance.

Of the 20 constituencies in the country with the highest rates of child poverty, six are in the West Midlands and four of these have child poverty rates of over 50 per cent:

· Ladywood (54.6 per cent)

· Hodge Hill (54 per cent)

· Hall Green (53.7 per cent)

· Yardley (50.4 per cent)

· Perry Barr (49.6 per cent )

· West Bromwich West (48 per cent)

Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread and End Child Poverty Coalition member said: "It’s a national disgrace that so many children in the UK are living in poverty.

"This report shows that working full time doesn’t protect households from struggling and working more hours isn’t a solution.

"In fact, Gingerbread’s own research has shown that the more hours a single parent works, the more likely they are to experience problem debt – this is mainly due to the extortionate cost of childcare.

"We need to see better support in place for families and particularly single parent families. The two-child cap needs to be scrapped and our welfare system must be reformed to offer an effective safety net for those in need."

The majority (71 per cent) of children experiencing poverty live in households where at least one parent is working – this figure has risen by six percentage points since last year.

Working more hours is not a route out of poverty for single parent families, particularly because of a lack of affordable childcare.

Today’s report shows that 26 per cent of children in lone parent families where the parent is working full-time are in poverty after housing costs.

The analysis of official statistics, carried out by Loughborough University, shows how children in larger families are significantly more likely to be experiencing poverty in England and Wales.

Therefore, the End Child Poverty Coalition is calling for the two-child limit for those claiming Universal Credit to be scrapped.

End of pandemic support sees child poverty rising again

The total number of children experiencing poverty in 2021/2022, 4.2 million, is an increase on the 3.6 million recorded the previous year.

That year, 2020/21 saw a £20 uplift in the weekly payment of Universal Credit, which helped ensure the first-time levels dropped by more than one per cent in a decade.

Its removal has seen the number climb back from 27 per cent of all children to 29 per cent - just behind the high registered in 2019.

Children with two or more siblings likely to be in poverty in England and Wales

The figures show a strong correlation between family size and the probability of child poverty after housing costs across the UK, but this is highest in the West Midlands and North West.

In 2021/22, the UK poverty rate among children with two or more siblings was 42 per cent, compared with 23 per cent and 22 per cent among children in families with one or two children.

An estimated 58 per cent of families affected by the ‘two-child limit’ policy are already in work.

Number of children in poverty living in working households on the rise

In 2020/21 some 65 per cent of children going through poverty lived with at least one adult with a job. That figure is now 71 per cent.

With 3.7 million people - or 12 per cent of the workforce - earning less than the real living wage, having a job is not the protection against poverty it once was.

Child poverty climbing most steeply in North and Midlands

While Tower Hamlets in London recorded the highest level of children experiencing poverty - 47.5 per cent last year - a dozen other local authorities have seen double digit increases since 2014/15.

On a regional basis over the same period the North East has seen a nine percentage point rise with the West Midlands and East Midlands registering eight percentage points and the North West climbing five percentage points.

Children with disabilities and from Black or minority ethnic communities are disproportionately affected by poverty

Households where one or more members are disabled are more likely to experience poverty throughout the UK.

There is also a clear correlation between children in receipt of disability living allowance and the rate of child poverty at a local level.

In every region of the UK, children from Black or minoritised ethnic communities are more at risk of experiencing poverty than those with white ethnicity.

This association is particularly strong in London, where due to the high ethnic diversity of the region a large number of children are likely to be affected.

Even in areas with low numbers of Black or minoritised ethnic families, children in those families are more likely to be poor than children in white families.