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Reposted by Katie Schmuecker

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 2d

Around 1 in 4 children in Scotland are living in poverty.

Poverty remains far too high, and people are feeling overlooked and ignored by politicians.

The next Scottish Parliament is an opportunity to build a better future for all children in Scotland. 🔽 1/4

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 8d

Briefing now live here www.jrf.org.uk/child-povert...

Two policies to boost family living standards and reduce child poverty

Adding a protected minimum floor to Universal Credit and removing the two-child limit will reverse declining living standards for families with children and get child poverty falling.

www.jrf.org.uk

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 8d

Without action families with children will see their disposable income fall over this parliament. Couples with children £750 worse off, lone parents £780.That’s electorally perilous.

Scrapping the 2 child limit and creating a minimum floor in universal credit would offset the fall.

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 8d

Our new analysis shows removing the 2 child limit improves average disposable income for families, as well as reducing poverty- but combining with a floor in Universal Credit turbo charges the impact.

🤓 read more here

bsky.app/profile/sam-...

Sam Tims @sam-tims.bsky.social · 9d

In new @jrf-uk.bsky.social analysis with @katieschmuecker.bsky.social we show how cost-effective improvements to social security can quickly improve the living standards outlook for families

Scrapping the two-child limit and creating an income floor in Universal Credit would make a real difference

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 8d

Charities seeking to ensure every child gets the best start in life have one clear priority for Labour conference

Billboard reading “wasn’t the point of winning to lift kids out of poverty? Scrap the two child limit”

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 9d

The Chancellor spoke of tearing down barriers for young people.

New @jrf_uk analysis shows removing the 2 child limit & creating a safety net within UC will alter the course of declining average disposable incomes for families with children as well as reducing child poverty ⬇️

Sam Tims @sam-tims.bsky.social · 9d

In new @jrf-uk.bsky.social analysis with @katieschmuecker.bsky.social we show how cost-effective improvements to social security can quickly improve the living standards outlook for families

Scrapping the two-child limit and creating an income floor in Universal Credit would make a real difference

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 13d

Without action, by the end of the parliament disposable incomes (after housing costs) will be on average £570 lower per year than today.

For those in the bottom third of incomes, the fall will be £1,110 per year ⬇️

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 13d

We're on track for a decade of decline in families’ disposables incomes by the end of the parliament. But this is not inevitable.

The gov can introduce targeted policies like investing in social security, and interventions in key areas like housing and energy.

Listen on @lbc.co.uk 🔽

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Reposted by Katie Schmuecker

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 13d

We're on track for a decade of decline in families’ disposables incomes by the end of the parliament. But this is not inevitable.

The gov can introduce targeted policies like investing in social security, and interventions in key areas like housing and energy.

Listen on @lbc.co.uk 🔽

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Reposted by Katie Schmuecker

Iain Porter @iainkporter.bsky.social · 15d

New DWP data today shows 123,000 families – including 103,000 (over 4 in 5) with children – had their Universal Credit reduced by the benefit cap in May 2025.

This eats into UC’s already inadequate basic rate, pulling it further below what’s needed to afford life's essentials. 1/6

Image of DWP chart showing proportion of UC capped households by number of children, Great Britain, May 2025. It shows households with 2 or 3 children are the most common family sizes (34% and 27% respectively). The least common family sizes are 5 or more children (7%) and one child (9%). There were 18% of households capped in UC without children.

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 17d

Full public attitudes slide deck here www.moreincommon.org.uk/media/5tijxh...

More on policy recommendations here www.jrf.org.uk/child-povert...

www.moreincommon.org.uk

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 17d

Child poverty is currently projected to rise this parliament, creating both moral & political problems.

The most cost effective way to get it falling is to remove the two child limit & introduce a protected minimum floor in universal credit, to limit losses from the benefit cap.

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 17d

Polling shows the public expects Labour to tackle poverty, but 60% say they’re going the wrong direction on the cost of living and hardship.

Labour’s Deputy Leadership candidates are right to make child poverty central to their campaigns.

Bar graph showing 60% think the government is going in the wrong direction on the cost of living and hardship, vs 17% saying right direction. 23% don’t know. Poll conducted by more in common in March 2025.

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · 25d

Estimated 7m households not claiming benefits they are entitled to. Missing out on support makes the cost of living crisis even harder to cope with.

Deven is right: low awareness, high complexity and stigma all part of the explanation.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Millions missing out on benefits and government support, analysis suggests

A report from Policy in Practice says awareness, complexity and stigma are the main barriers stopping people claiming.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Katie Schmuecker

Iain Porter @iainkporter.bsky.social · Jul 29

Govt dropped cuts to PIP, but today's Committee report highlights MPs' concerns that many disabled people will be pushed into poverty by remaining cuts to Universal Credit's health element. In evidence to the inquiry I warned of the hardship this will cause. 1/5

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Tens of thousands at risk of poverty despite Labour’s benefit U-turn, MPs warn

Changes to welfare reforms not enough to protect newly sick and disabled people from financial hardship

www.theguardian.com

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 21

Read a write up of the Liaison Committee exchanges here www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Keir Starmer tells MPs he wants to cut child poverty before next election

Pledge by PM will renew pressure on Labour to end two-child benefit cap despite estimated £3.6bn annual cost

www.theguardian.com

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 21

The Prime Minister told senior MPs today he wants to reduce child poverty this parliament

The most cost effective way to do that is to end the two child limit and take action on the benefit cap - actions that also target help to families in deep poverty. Read more ⬇️

www.jrf.org.uk/child-povert...

Three policies to reduce child poverty this parliament

This briefing sets out which children are at greatest risk of such severe and acute poverty, and what a child poverty strategy must include to address it.

www.jrf.org.uk

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 10

The government's stats release is here: www.gov.uk/government/s...

Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025

www.gov.uk

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 10

Tackling these two policies is the most cost effective way to get child poverty falling this parliament. They are needed for a successful child poverty strategy.

Read more about our policy ideas - and how to pay for them - here: www.jrf.org.uk/child-povert...

Three policies to reduce child poverty this parliament

This briefing sets out which children are at greatest risk of such severe and acute poverty, and what a child poverty strategy must include to address it.

www.jrf.org.uk

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 10

Ending the two child limit and & limiting the impact of the benefit cap with a protected minimum floor in UC would lift 500,000 children out of poverty & reduce its depth for a further 1m by the end of the parliament.

Failure to act will see poverty rise this parliament.

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 10

The latest @jrf-uk.bsky.social cost of living tracker (May 2025) reveals the depth of hardship among low income families with 3+ children
🛑Almost 9 in 10 (88%) went without essentials in the previous 6 months
🛑 8 in 10 (82%) were in arrears
🛑7 in 10 (71%) held a loan taken out to pay for essentials.

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 10

New from DWP:

📣Over 1.6m children impacted by the 2 child limit in Apr 2025

This policy that leaves families with 3+ children struggling when they hit hard times.

It is driving up child poverty, leaving families going without essentials and hindering children's prospects

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 8

They do, and there is a welcome increase to the Standard Allowance of UC of around £260 per year in 2029/30. But for new claimants the health element is being halved, making around 700,000 people £3,000 per year worse off. For sick and disabled people UC is being cut.

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 8

Around 50,000 people will be pushed into poverty by the Government's cuts to Universal Credit for sick and disabled people.

Following publication of the Green Paper @jrf-uk.bsky.social highlighted the sleight of hand in the poverty impact analysis. The same applies to the latest version ⬇️

Iain Porter @iainkporter.bsky.social · Jul 8

Actually around 50,000 people will be pulled into poverty by remaining cuts in Bill - based on Govt’s impact assessments. @jrf-uk.bsky.social previously showed how DWP sleight of hand underplayed true poverty impact – same applies to this latest publication. 🧵1/3

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Welfare bill will now lift 50,000 out of poverty after U-turns, assessment finds

Revised bill passed after UK government rowed back on cuts will mean fewer rather than more people in relative poverty in 2030

www.theguardian.com

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 8

Important corrective - even in their much altered form, the Government's disability cuts still increase poverty.

Tom Pollard @pollardtom.bsky.social · Jul 8

This is nonsense. The impact assessment starts from an imaginary baseline incorporating reforms planned but never implemented by the previous government

In the real world, the cuts that remain in the Bill will push around 50,000 disabled people into poverty www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Welfare bill will now lift 50,000 out of poverty after U-turns, assessment finds

Revised bill passed after UK government rowed back on cuts will mean fewer rather than more people in relative poverty in 2030

www.theguardian.com

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Katie Schmuecker @katieschmuecker.bsky.social · Jul 8

She calls for:
▪️an end to the 2 child limit in universal credit
▪️social security that covers essential costs
▪️a time limit on B&B style temporary accommodation
▪️free bus travel
▪️automatic enrolment for free school meals where eligible.

📖 read more www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/resource/gro...

Growing up in a low-income family: Children's experiences | Children's Commissioner for England

This report should not have to exist. Shining a light on children’s experiences of poverty in 2025, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world,

www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

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