The charity says that the figures around poverty have become “wearily familiar”, and mask the reality of families “who face a constant battle just to afford basic items” .
The annual poverty report from the foundation finds that 14.3 million people in the UK live in poverty (21%), including 8.1 million working adults and 4.3 million children (30%) – with 17% of children living in “persistent poverty”.
Within this, around 44% of children in lone-parent families live in poverty compared with 26% of those in couple families. The report adds: “Adults and children in lone-parent families are by far the most likely of any family types to be struggling with poverty.”
The study defines poverty as when household income after housing costs is below 60% of the median income nationally. Persistent poverty refers to those who have lived in poverty for three of the last four years.
The report states: “Three in every 10 children in the UK are living in poverty. Many live with parents struggling with job insecurity, poor mental and physical health, and the unyielding stress that comes from not having the means to support their family as they would wish.”
The report warns that the continued high cost of living is having a stark impact on families. For example, in October 2024, around 2.6 million or 44% of the poorest fifth of households were in arrears with their household bills or behind on scheduled lending repayments, 4.1 million households (69%) were going without essentials, and 3.2 million households (54%) cut back on food or went hungry.
The report warns that three-quarters of the poorest households report cutting back on food or going hungry in the last 30 days.
It states: “As families cut back on essentials as they struggle to keep up with rising costs, the number of children attending school hungry is likely to rise, affecting children’s ability to take part and attain in school.”
The report cites research showing that 73% of primary school staff say that supporting pupils who cannot afford the essentials is a challenge in their school and that one-third of primary schools are providing a school food bank. Headteacher Update has previously reported evidence showing that one in five of all schools are now operating food banks.
The JRF report also warns that benefits have not kept pace with rising inflation: “The latest published data covers 2022/23, a year spanning the worst of the cost of living crisis, with high inflation, low unemployment, higher-than-usual inactivity, benefits not keeping up with the accelerating inflation and annual housing cost inflation rising over the period.”
Its analysis adds: “Without determined action, this picture will get worse. During 2024, the cost of living crisis continued, with millions of low-income households going without essentials. Our research shows that, on the current trajectory, the rest of this decade will not see progress on either poverty or deep poverty. That is true even with the best economic growth scenario.”
The impact of poverty on education is well understood in schools and the report reiterates much of what we know – not least the impact of poverty on educational gaps from a very young age.
It highlights that the gap in vocabulary development between children in the richest and poorest families (top and bottom 20% of incomes) is, on average, 10 months at age 3 and 15 months at age 5.
The report cites longitundinal studies tracking children over time: “In the UK, children born in the millennium had lower attainment in cognitive tests in the early years and did worse at school at 17 if their parents had lower incomes.”
The report highlights how 44% of disadvantaged pupils meet expected standards at age 11 and just 25% achieve a grade 5 in English and maths GCSE at age 16 – this compared to 66% and 52% of their non-disadvantaged peers respectively.
Commenting on the report this week, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “The devastating impact of poverty harms children’s learning and life chances – pupils are not ready to learn if they are hungry or do not have stable living arrangements.
“Funding cuts under previous governments mean it is harder for councils to support families struggling to make ends meet, and schools have increasingly ended up trying to fill this gap, offering food parcels and even showers and use of laundry facilities. However, this type of emergency school-based response cannot be seen as a long-term solution.
“More must be done to tackle both the causes and symptoms of poverty. This will require real action to implement the recommendations of the government’s child poverty taskforce, and more investment in vital community support so children and families get the help they need.”
- JRF: UK Poverty 2025: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK, January 2025: www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2025-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk