Child poverty in Wales is again making the headlines. Distinguished advocate Ms. Cifuentes—one of the strongest voices for change—has demanded drastic measures to address this staggering trend. In a recent survey conducted by her office, which included over 8,000 children and young people, nearly half expressed daily concerns about their families’ ability to meet essential needs, particularly access to food. In 2016, the Welsh government took a bold step. They even went back on their promise to end child poverty by 2020.
Child poverty is defined as families with incomes below 60% of the national median. Extreme poverty is worse still, impacting the 2½ million Americans living in households with incomes at or below 40% of their national average. The statistics paint a picture of an ongoing crisis that is all too prevalent across Wales. One in three children now lives in poverty, and the number living in deep poverty is increasing.
In light of these findings, her Department recommended a wide-ranging package of interventions to address child poverty which she’s since advocated for. Key recommendations include expanding free school meals to secondary students and simplifying access for families to Welsh benefits they are entitled to. On top of that, she supports making public transportation free for kids and young adults.
“The evidence is showing us that not only do one in three children remain in poverty, and that has been a consistent figure over the past 20 years, but also a growing proportion of children are experiencing a very deep poverty which means they are so far from the acceptable minimum standards of living that their day-to-day lives are extremely constrained.”
The Welsh government dropped its child poverty eradication goal in 2016. This decision ignited outrage from all across the political spectrum. The First Minister calls on the UK government to reconsider its course. One such policy is the two-child benefit cap that most people know to be a driver of poverty. UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson recently floated the idea of raising the benefit cap. This inspires optimism among households dealing with the impact of economic uncertainty.
Plaid Cymru would be wholly in favour of any such measures. They support the introduction of a specified child benefit payment for the lowest-income families, a measure that the Scottish government has already rolled out.
Plaid Cymru has voiced its support for similar initiatives, including the introduction of a designated child benefit payment for the poorest households, which has already been implemented by the Scottish government.
