Child Poverty

Introduction

Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, almost a fifth of children under-16 in England (19.8%) live in households where income is less than 60% of median household income before housing costs (a measure of relative poverty) (2024/25). For Blackpool, the figure is 30.5%.¹

In 2010, the Marmot review from the Institute of Health Equity highlighted that children who grow up in poverty are much more likely to suffer poorer health, lower education achievement and a lower economic status than children born into wealthier families.²

Ten years after the original review the follow-up report 'Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On' identified that since 2010 rates of child poverty in the UK have increased and are now back to pre-2010 levels, with over four million children estimated to be growing up in poverty after taking into account housing costs.³ 

Based on more recent 2023-24 figures, the Resolution Foundation (the Living Standards Outlook) suggest that relative child poverty will rise from 31% to 34% by 2029-30, which equates to 4.8 million children. This is an increase of 4.1 percentage points for England, and four percentage points for the UK overall.⁴ Through modelling, the foundation indicated that scrapping the two-child benefit limit and the further expansion of the free school meal eligibility would improve the child poverty outlook in the same time period.⁵

Both Marmot reports and the Living Standards Outlook emphasised that early intervention and policy change is likely to have more success (and be more cost-effective in the longer term) than interventions applied later in life to address the resultant problems.

Following the original Marmot review, the then-government introduced The Child Poverty Act 2010 which set income-based UK-wide targets to be met by 2020.⁶ The legislation and associated guidance required councils to develop child poverty strategies with the aim of reducing and mitigating the effects of child poverty. In 2016 the Welfare Reform and Work Act superseded the Child Poverty Act and repealed these targets, removing many of the statutory responsibilities of local authorities to directly assess need and report on the prevalence of child poverty in their areas.⁷

In 2021 the Children's Commissioner for England called for a renewed focus on tackling child poverty, particularly in light of the impact of COVID-19 on employment and family incomes, and the government's desire to 'build back better'. During the COVID-19 period, poverty has, at least for some, translated into food insecurity and hunger, with households with children more likely to experience food insecurity during the first lockdown.⁸

According to a recent House of Common's briefing, in 2023/24 there were 7.5 million people (11% of the UK population) in households that were experiencing food poverty, of which 18% were children (1,350,000).⁹

The impacts of child poverty

The impacts of child poverty are seen in all areas of the child's life including their education, health and future chances.

Poverty negatively impacts on children's educational experience, attainment and prospects

• • In 2024/25 the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of reception year was 52.3% for those eligible for free school meals (FSM), compared to 63.5% for all other children (England 51.% for FSM, 68.3% all other children).¹⁰
  • The proportion of children meeting expected standard for reading, writing and maths aged 10-11 was 47% for children eligible for FSMs, compared to 63% for all other children (England 48% for FSM, 69% all other children) (2024/25).¹¹
  • The proportion of children meeting expected grades between 9 (highest) and 4 on English and maths at GCSE age 15-16 was 37% for those eligible for FSMs, compared to 64% for all other children (England 44% for FSM, 72% for all other children) (2024/25).¹¹
    
  • In 2024/25, those not on free school meals were almost twice as likely as FSM students to leave school at age 19 with a level 2 qualification (English and maths) (66% non-FSM, 38% FSM) (England 86% non-FSM, 64% FSM).¹¹
  • People from income-deprived households in England have lower average earnings aged 30 years, even when matching education level and secondary school attainment. 50% of those who were eligible for FSM earned £17,000 or less aged 30, compared to almost £23,000 who were state school pupils (non-FSM), and £33,000 who were educated at independent schools.¹²

A 2021 survey of 2,500 National Education Union members also found that 55% of respondents had observed an increase in child poverty in their school since the start of the first COVID-19 restrictions in March 2020, with over half of members saying that their students had experienced hunger (57%), and ill-health (50%) as a result of poverty.¹³

Poverty is also associated with a higher risk of both illness and premature death.

• • In England the mortality rate for infants living in the 10% most deprived areas was over twice the mortality rate for those in the 10% least deprived areas.¹⁴
    
  • Children living in poor quality accommodation are more likely to experience respiratory infections, chronic illnesses,  and have poor mental health, whilst overcrowding can increase health risks and accelerate the spread of viral and bacterial infections.¹⁵
    
  • Almost 14% of cold/damp households (54,000) have at least one dependent child experiencing mental health issues.¹⁵
    
  • The effects of poverty can last a lifetime - in the most deprived areas males will die ten years younger compared to the least deprived. For females this is approximately eight years (2022-24).¹⁶
    
  • For both males and females, those in the most deprived areas can expect to live on average almost 20 fewer years in 'good health' compared to those in the least deprived (2022-24).¹⁶

Poverty impacts the way children are able to interact with their environments

• • Children living in poverty are more likely to live in poor quality and insecure accommodation, as well as in areas of higher crime and poor overall environment. Unaffordable housing costs can also exacerbate poverty levels within families.
  • Fuel poverty also affects children detrimentally as they grow up as low-income families do sometimes have to make a choice between food and heating.
  • Children from low income families often forgo events, for example school trips, birthday parties, trips with friends.¹⁷

The drivers of child poverty

The UK Government's 2025 child poverty strategy 'Our Children, Our Future' identified a number of drivers of child poverty, which make it harder for some families to get out of poverty and that make some poor children more likely to become poor adults:

• cuts to social security
• lack of economic growth
• insecure work (including low earnings and unpredictable hours)
• availability of suitable jobs
• lack of skills, poor educational attainment
• availability of childcare
• being a single-parent family and/or having no network of support
• being in a larger family
• being disabled and/or having health conditions
• being an ethnic minority family
• having children who are disabled/have a health condition
• cost-of-living crisis
• rising housing costs
• lack of access to affordable and high-quality housing
• homelessness/living in temporary accommodation
• increased household costs, including rising prices for utilities, food and other bills
• austerity and the erosion of public services, including local authority and schools
• place - regions with large urban areas and large populations have higher poverty

Parents or guardians with drug and/or alcohol dependency are also more likely to experience poverty, as are those families already struggling with debt. The rates are highest for children living in workless families (over 70%), however the proportion of children living in poverty despite one or more parents working has been steadily increasing and now stands at almost 75%, a rise from 60% in 2010/11, and having parents in work is not a guaranteed route out of poverty.¹⁸

Part-time workers, low-paid workers in employment sectors such as accommodation and food services are also at greater risk of being drawn into poverty, particularly as a consequence of the economic and health impacts of COVID-19, and now the cost-of-living crisis. Children living in lone-parent families, in families with three or more children, and with disability in the family are also at greater risk of growing up in poverty, and some minority ethnic communities also have higher rates of child poverty.  This highlights how intersections of poverty, inequality, discrimination and exclusion can impact on the lives of children in the UK.¹⁸

Facts and figures

Poverty and deprivation

There is no single definition or measure of child poverty in the UK, and different indicators show different results depending on what and how they measure, and whether poverty is measured before or after housing costs. There is often a focus on income-based poverty statistics, though it is important to recognise that poverty is broader than family income. It also affects, and is affected by, a range of wider factors as described above.

The 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) ranks Blackpool as the most deprived local authority in England, with no change from the 2019 IMD. While this ranking does not explicitly show an increase or decrease in deprivation levels, it indicates that Blackpool has the most deprived areas, relative to other authorities. 

Income deprivation

The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) is an estimation of children aged 0-15 living in income poverty based on IMD data. Using calculations based on this index, in 2025 approximately 13,775 (55.1%) of children in Blackpool were estimated to be living in income deprived families, compared to 36.7% nationally. This was the second highest level in the North West, and eleventh highest nationally (figure 1).

Figure 1: Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), 2025 - lower tier local authoritiesSource: OHID Public Health Profiles / Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

According to data from the Department for Work and Pensions, in 2024/25 an estimated 7,817 Blackpool children aged 0-15 lived in 'absolute' low income families (30.5% - ranked 19th highest proportion from all upper tier local authorities). Absolute low income measures number and proportions of individuals who have household incomes 60% below the average in the financial year ending 2025 and is adjusted for inflation, before housing costs. The same proportion/number were estimated to be living in 'relative' low income families (lower than 60% of the median income each year).* Both rates are significantly higher than the national average, and the overall trend for both measures have levelled, after a period of increases (figure 2).

Figure 2: trend in percentage of children living in absolute and relative low-income families (under 16s) (2014/15 to 2024/25)Source: OHID, Public Health Profiles

*_{For the financial year ending (FYE) 2025 only, the absolute and relative counts will be the same as the absolute baseline year has moved from FYE 2011 to FYE 2025 (so for this year only, the two sets of figures are the same counts).The change in the methodology means that financial year 2024/25 is now the year used to determine what constitutes “absolute low income”, which is household incomes, before housing costs (BHC), that are below 60% of the average (median) in that year. This is the reference year. Thus, assuming the median household income in England in 2024/25 was £37,500, then to be counted as a child living in absolute low income in 2024/25, the child needs to be living in a household with an income BHC below 60% of £37,500 which would mean below £22,500. (Neither the Fingertips indicator metadata, nor the DWP statistical releases on which they are based, state the median income levels that were used. The  £37,500 figure was sourced from the Institute for Fiscal Studies for demonstration purposes.) Relative low income in any given year counts each child who lives in a household with incomes below 60% of the average in the reference year, which is currently 2024/25. This means that, in 2024/25, the counts (and consequently the proportions) living in either “absolute” or “relative low income households” will be the same. Once 2025/26 data is available, the absolute low income indicator for 2025/26 will be calculated using the median household income for 2025/26, but the relative low income indicator will continue to be calculated using the median household income for the reference year of 2024/25. Hence, from 2025/26 we can expect the two indicators to differ from each other.}

Eight of the 21 wards in Blackpool fall into the most deprived 10% nationally, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (2025 data). The estimated percentage of children (0-15 years) living in low-income families varies considerably across Blackpool, from 21% in Norbreck to 90% in Bloomfield (figure 3).

Figure 3: children in low-income families across Blackpool (IDACI) - 2025

Source: Index of multiple deprivation - IDACI

Universal Credit

Universal Credit (UC) is a payment to support living costs for those who are unemployed or on a low income. Universal Credit is operated by the Department for Work and Pensions and replaces the following six working-age benefits with a single payment:

• • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSNA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Housing Benefit

Numbers and rates of people aged 16-64 on UC in Blackpool rose gradually from 2016, as the rollout commenced, and as people were transitioned from other benefits. A more dramatic increase was observed at the start of the initial COVID-19 lockdown period, with numbers rising rapidly in March 2021, when 22,781 individuals were on Universal Credit in Blackpool and 15,240 of these were not in employment. The number of people on UC has continued to increase, and as of January 2026, 30,148 were claiming the benefit, with almost 21,000 not in employment or self-employment. 

When looking at households, 9,755 (37%) of the 26,402 in Blackpool receiving UC had children (as of January 2026). The total number of households on UC has increased in the 12 months from February 2025 to January 2026 by 13 percentage points, from 23,360 to just over 26,400. The proportion of households with children has decreased by 12 percentage points in the same period (although numbers of children remains consistent at around 9,800). Looking at the longer five-year trend (Jan-21 to Dec-25) shows single households with no children are the main recipients of UC, with 'couple' households remaining relatively similar over the time period.

Figure 4: Blackpool households on Universal Credit by household type breakdown (Jan 2021 to December 2025)Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Stat-Xplore

Workless families

Department of Work and Pension (DwP) data shows that in 2024/25:

• Of the 7,828 children aged 0-15 living in an absolute low income household (before housing costs), 2,958 (37.8%) lived in a family with no employment.
• Of the 9,572 children aged 0-19 living in an absolute low income household (before housing costs), 3,519 (36.8%) lived in a family with no employment.

Lone parents / carers

Single parents are amongst those vulnerable groups at greatest risk of unemployment due to the demands of balancing working and home life, especially with younger children. According to latest statistics from the DwP (2024/25), 41% of children in single-parent families, compared to 23% in couple families, live in poverty.

• In 2024/25, 5,4630 (57%) of the 9,572 children (0-19) living in absolute low income households (before housing costs) were from lone parent families. 2,600 of these were in families where there was no employment.
• In January 2026, 7,159 (23.7%) of the 30,148 households on Universal Credit in Blackpool were recorded as being comprised of a single adult with children.

Family size

National statistics indicate that children who live in large families, defined as those with three or more children, are more likely to live in low income households and households in combined low income and material deprivation.

• • According to statistics reported by HMRC on families claiming child benefit in August 2025, Blackpool has 2,375 families with three or more children.
    

• • At January 2026, 2,203 households with three or more children were on Universal Credit in Blackpool.

Family homelessness

Homelessness and experiences of living in temporary accommodation during childhood can adversely affect physical and mental health and development of children, and disrupt schooling. Homelessness during childhood has also been shown to reduce life chances and impact adult employment.¹⁷

In 2024/25, 1,921 households approached Blackpool Council for assistance with their housing situation. Of those assessed a total of 1,909 were owed duties under homelessness legislation. Of these owed a duty, 1,105 (57.5%) were identified as homeless households, and owed a duty by the local authority to relieve their homelessness, and 804 (41.9%) were threatened with homelessness and owed a duty by the local authority to assist in the prevention of the person or family becoming homeless. Under a fifth (17.3%, 139) were households with children were identified as homeless and owed a relief duty by the council.

In addition to those families who present to services as at risk of being or actually homeless, the large quantity of poor quality housing in Blackpool means that there are likely to be children living in sub-standard or overcrowded housing although it is impossible to say how many.

Free school meals and educational attainment - Department for Education statistics

• • In 2024/25, 8,326 children were receiving free school meals; 42.0% of all children on the roll. The proportion of children in receipt of free school meals is the ninth highest in the country, significantly higher than the national average of 25.7%.
  • In 2024/25, 52.3% of children in receipt of free school meals had reached a good level of development at the end of reception, similar to the national average of 51.3%.
  • 36.3% of Year 11 students in Blackpool who were categorised as 'disadvantaged' achieved grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs compared to 65.1% of all other students. Nationally, 43.8% of disadvantaged students achieved grade 4 or above in English and maths, compared to 73.1% for all other students.
    

Social mobility

• • The Social Mobility Index compares the chances that a child from a disadvantaged background will do well at school and get a good job across local authorities of England.
  • It examines a range of measures of the educational outcomes achieved by young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and the local job and housing markets to shed light on which are the best and worst places in England in terms of the opportunities young people from poorer backgrounds have to succeed.
  • Blackpool was ranked 9th worst performing local authority in the 2016 Social Mobility index.¹⁹
  • In comparison, our geographical neighbour Fylde is ranked the 22nd best social mobility 'hotspot'.

Current services and initiatives

Better start

The Better Start Programme aims to improve the life chances of babies and very young children by delivering a significant increase in the use of preventative approaches in pregnancy and first three years of life. By targeting the formative early phase of life, it is hoped that the effects of child poverty may be mitigated.

Selective licencing

The Housing Act 2004 allows local housing authorities to designate areas for Selective Licensing to support the improvement of privately rented properties, providing certain conditions are met. A key element of the scheme is the comprehensive inspection programme which enables the council to identify properties which fall below standards as defined by the housing health and safety rating system, and to offer advice and support to landlords on how they can improve standards. License fees are also used to employ a dedicated antisocial behaviour (ASB) officer whose role it is to offer advice and to support landlords when tackling ASB from their tenants.

From 2019 all privately rented housing of multiple occupation (HMOs) located within the designated area is subject to selective licensing (in additon to existing mandatory licensing). For further information see Blackpool Council Housing Licenses page.

[1]  Office for Health Improvement and Disparities Public Health Outcomes Framework, Percentage of all dependent children under 16 in relative low income households, 2024/25. [Accessed May 2026].

[2]  Institute for Health Equity; 2010. Fairer Society, Healthy Lives: strategic review of health inequalities in England post 2010. [Accessed May 2026].

[3] Marmot, M., Allen, J., Boyce, T., Goldblatt, P. & Morrison, J. (2020) Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On. Institute of Health Equity. [Accessed May 2026].

[4] Corlett, A. (2025). Resolution Foundation - The Living Standards Outlook 2025. [Accessed May 2026].

[5] Ibid.

[6] Department for Education, 2011. A new approach to child poverty: tackling the causes of disadvantage and transforming families' lives.

[7] Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

[8] Children's Commissioner (2021) Child Poverty: the crisis we can't keep ignoring, January 2021.

[9] UK Parliament, House of Commons Library (2025). Food poverty: Households, food banks and free school meals. [Accessed May 2026].

[10] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Child and Maternal Health profile. School readiness: percentage of children achieving a good level of development at the end of reception, 2024/25. 

[11] Department for Education. Explore education statistics. [Accessed May 2026]

[12] Office for National Statistics (2022). Why free school meal recipients earn less than their peers. [Accessed May 2026].

[13] National Education Union. Child Poverty - the facts. May, 2021. [ Accessed 16th March 2022]

[14]Office for National Statistics. Child and infant mortality in England and Wales: 2024. [Accessed May 2026]

[15] Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2025). English Housing Survey 2023 to 2024: health and housing fact sheet. [Accessed May 2026].

[16] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Public Health Outcomes Framework - life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. [Accessed May 2026].

[17] Child Poverty Action Group. Effects of poverty. [Accessed May 2026].

[18] Department for Work and Pensions (2025). Households Below Average Income statistics for 2023/24. [Accessed May 2026]

[19] Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission Social Mobility Index, 2016