The fight against social vulnerability and child poverty is not exclusive to Brazil. In developed countries such as the UK, millions of families face extreme hardship, requiring urgent policy responses. Amid growing pressure, the British government (Labour Party) recently published its long-awaited Strategy to Combat Child Poverty, a national plan drawn up by the Child Poverty Task Force.
The document comes against an alarming backdrop: 4.5 million children in the UK currently live in poverty, This represents one in three children facing hunger and hardship. In addition, the number of homeless children reached record highs, with 172,420 dependent children living in temporary accommodation between April and June 2025.
The plan and its seismic effect
The strategy outlines a series of measures aimed at reducing the country's child poverty rate. The most significant policy, and the one that has generated the most relief among activists and charities, is the end of the benefit cap for two children.
This rule, which denied additional universal credit for the third or any subsequent child born after April 2017, affects more than 1.6 million children in the UK. Abolishing this limit is considered the quickest and most cost-effective way to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. It is estimated that this single measure is primarily responsible for the projection that more than half a million children should be lifted out of poverty by the end of the decade, marking the biggest reduction in a single parliament since records began.
In addition to the end of the benefits cap, the strategy includes other important pillars:
- Income and Cost of Living Support: The government has announced measures to help families buy more affordable infant formula, claiming that parents will be able to save up to £500 a year.
- Childcare: Eligibility for initial childcare costs will be extended to new parents returning from parental leave and on Universal Credit, making it easier for them to return to work. Families will also receive support for the childcare costs of all their children.
- Housing: The plan seeks to curb the “illegal” placement of families in hostels (bed and breakfasts) for more than six weeks, as well as investing £8 million (around R$58 million) in Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilot Projects in the worst affected areas.
4.5 million children in the UK currently live in poverty, which represents one in three children facing hunger and hardship.
Big Issue criticism: where are the targets?
Although the anti-poverty sector has welcomed the abolition of the two-child limit as a “historic moment” and an “indefensible” decision to sabotage children's life chances, the strategy has been heavily criticised, especially by the magazine and social organisation Big Issue.
The founder of Big Issue, Lord John Bird labelled the strategy a “disappointing continuation of the old Westminster folly of trying to drive seismic structural change with small-scale projects and initiatives”.
The main flaw pointed out is the absence of legal poverty reduction targets. Bird argued that without ambitious targets, there is reason to worry that “warm words will not translate into tangible progress”, especially in the current challenging economic climate.
A Big Issue, supported by 67 children's charities, has been campaigning for the government to set legally binding targets, ensuring that it is held accountable for lifting children out of poverty. Without a clear number of potential beneficiaries, there is no way to measure progress. The organisation warns that the lack of targets means there is no guarantee that the government will keep its promises, and progress can stagnate or be silently reversed.
As a way of continuing the pressure, John Bird will reintroduce an amendment to the Child Welfare and Schools Bill next year, seeking to ensure that child poverty targets are written into the legislation.
Despite optimism that the measures announced will bring about immediate change, the reality is that almost four million children will still be facing poverty at the end of this parliamentary term unless additional action is taken. The discussion in the UK about the need for accountability and legal targets serves as an important reminder of the complexity and urgency of combating vulnerability in any nation.
Photo caption: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks to families at a community centre in Rugby. Image: Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street / Reproduction