It’s time the government did more to help children trapped below the poverty line, writes Shontai Barnett and Jordan Jones.
New research conducted by The Children’s Society, a charity working to support vulnerable children in England and Wales, shows that one in ten UK children aged 14 have been blighted by poverty at some time in their lives to an extent that is detrimental to their childhood and quality of life.
The figures show that of those children who had presented as in ‘poverty’ during any of the six occasions that they were visited between the ages of zero and fourteen,12% were “unhappy with their life as a whole” and 16% had “high symptoms of depression.”
Although the report has no figures for previous years, figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions last year did show an increase in absolute poverty amongst children in the year 2017-18 compared to the year before.
So if that trend has continued, then the Children’s Society report suggests a worsening epidemic of children stripped of their birthright to a care-free childhood – by the curse of poverty.
Being brought up in poverty already disadvantages a child in practical ways. Growing up under financial strain limits access to things such as food, clothes and toys, all of which are vital for healthy mental and physical development.
Experiencing depression on top of all that may affect school attendance, academic performance, and the chances of a successful career, making these children more likely to remain in poverty for the rest of their lives. The report says many of these children feel “miserable” and as though “no-one loves them” – which is likely to take a toll on their mental health and limit their motivation to succeed, which in turn could lead to anti-social behaviour and even crime.
These figures therefore point not only towards a bleak future for some of these individual children, but towards consequences for society as a whole. Yes there are charities that help alleviate the problem, such as The Children’s Society, and End Child Poverty. But the government needs to intervene more as well. Because If the children are our future, then we have to do all we can to stop poverty from inhibiting their future.