Statement from Executive Director Hannah Davies about the Child Poverty Taskforce

The Prime Minister has today (Wednesday 17 July 2024) appointed the Work & Pensions Secretary and the Education Secretary to jointly lead a new ministerial taskforce to begin work on the Child Poverty Strategy. A Child Poverty Unit in the Cabinet Office will be created to bring together experts to explore an ambitious and effective child poverty strategy. 

Hannah Davies, Executive Director of Health Equity North, which provides the secretariat for the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), said: “For too long there has been inaction on increasing child poverty and policies put in place that have made the situation worse.  

“That is why we welcome the Child Poverty Unity as a crucial step towards policymakers and leaders taking action to strategize factors such as employment, housing, health and education to reduce child poverty. 

“Health Equity North research continues to expose the stark impacts that the cost-of living-crisis has had on families, with some areas of the North experiencing the highest rates of child poverty since the turn of the millennium. It is not just about money – child poverty is linked with food insecurity, declining mental and physical health, poor educational outcomes, infant deaths and more. We cannot underestimate the consequences of ignoring this issue.  

“In our various Child of the North reports we have set out many recommendations to the government on how to address this pressing issue, and what can be done in both the short and long term to alleviate poverty in our regions. Child of the North and our APPG look forward to using our expertise and research to work with the new child poverty taskforce, and we hope that together we can create a sea of change so that future vulnerable generations do not experience the adversities of those before them.” 

Read more about the child poverty taskforce on the gov.uk website.