Child poverty is becoming the ‘new normal’in many parts of Wales

• Wales is the only part of the UK to see an overall increase in the percentage of children in poverty, after housing costs, over the past year

• Local authority, constituency and some electoral ward data listed below in notes. Full electoral ward data available upon request.

• Insome of Wales’ constituencies,35% of children are growing up in poverty

• In many electoral wards, over 40% of children are trapped in poverty

• Child poverty highest in cities and towns in south Walesand north Wales

Statistics out today by the End Child Poverty coalition show that 206,173 children in Wales were in poverty in 2018, or 29.3% of Wales’ child population and a 1% increase on the previous year after housing costs are taken into account.[1]

The powers to change child poverty levels in Wales sit with both Welsh Government and UK Government. The UK’s leading child poverty coalition is calling for the major political parties in both Cardiff Bay and Westminster to outline ambitious child poverty-reduction strategies. New data published today shows that child poverty is becoming entrenched in some parts of Wales, with 35% of children trapped in poverty in some constituencies.

The data, published by the End Child Poverty coalition, highlights how deeply concerning levels of child poverty vary across Britain[2] and shows that poverty is on the rise.

End Child Poverty’s partner in Wales, the End Child Poverty Network Cymru (ECPN) is calling on Welsh Government to produce a new Child Poverty strategy and action plan with ambitious milestones and targets, and will be campaigning for Wales’ political parties to commit themselves to ambitious child poverty reduction pledges in the run-up to the 2021 election to the National Assembly for Wales.

End Child Poverty is calling on UK Government to set out an ambitious and credible child poverty-reduction strategy, including:

• Restoring the link between benefits (including housing support) and inflation, and then making up for the loss in the real value in children’s benefits as a result of the 4-year freeze and previous sub-inflation increases in benefit rates.

• Ending the two-child limit on child allowances in tax credits and Universal Creditand reforming Universal Credit.
• Reversing the cuts and investing in children’s services such as mental health, education, childcare and social care.

Researchers from Loughborough University have estimated the numbers of children locked in poverty in each constituency, ward and local authority area across Britain. Their analysis shows that child poverty is rising in rural areas of north, mid and west Wales as well as industrial towns and cities in south Wales.

The local authority areas in Wales facing the highest levels of child poverty, after housing costs are taken into account, are:

• Blaenau Gwent – 34%
• Merthyr Tydfil – 34%
• Caerphilly – 32%
• Rhondda Cynon Taf – 32%

(See Table 2 in Notes for data for all 22 Local Authorities)                                                                                                                

The parliamentary / National Assembly for Wales constituencies in Wales with the highest levels of child poverty, after housing costs, are:

• Cardiff Southand Penarth – 35%
• Cynon Valley – 35%
• Rhondda – 35%

There are also 14 electoral wards in Wales with 44% or over of children living in poverty, the highest of which is Penrhiwceibar in Rhondda Cynon Taf with 49%.

Rachel Cable, Head of Oxfam Cymru, a member of the End Child Poverty Network Cymru, said:

‘The story these figures tell is heartbreaking. It is simply not acceptable that in parts of Wales over 40% of children are living in poverty. All children deserve a happy and healthy life, and governments must act now to free children from being trapped in devastating poverty for life. Today’s figures must be a call to action. Wales still faces the highest poverty rates in the UK, and too many families are struggling with paying their bills and putting a hot meal on the table. It is time for change. Our children cannot wait.’

Sean O’Neill of Children in Wales, who chairs the End Child Poverty Network Cymru, said:

‘Yet again we are presented with more damming evidence that child poverty in Wales remains stubbornly high with serious consequences for their life chances as more families struggle just to get by. In far too many parts of Wales, growing up in poverty is no longer the exception with more children expected to get swept up in poverty in the coming years.

‘Growing up in poverty restricts a child’s chances of doing well at school, of living a healthy and happy life, and of finding well paid work as adults. We urgently need all levels of Government to set a course of action, through a coherent and ambitious child poverty reduction strategy, that will work towards freeing children from the grip of poverty.’

Ysgol Glan Morfa is a Welsh-medium primary school in Cardiff South and Penarth, a constituency with 35% of children living in poverty. MeilirTomos, the school’s Headteacher, stresses his school’s commitment to supporting families and seeking solutions:

‘We realise that there are children in our school whose families are struggling in different ways. We believe that it’s vitally important for children to have the best start in life possible and there are many ways in which our school supports families. For example, we have a breakfast club each morning during school days. We also have developed a scheme whereby parents donate school uniforms that their children have outgrown and that other parents can purchase for a nominal amount.’