Earlier this month, the government published its long-awaited Child Poverty Strategy, Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty, which sets out measures to boost family incomes, reduce the cost of essentials, and strengthen local support.

The strategy is the result of work by the Child Poverty Taskforce, which was established shortly after the 2024 General Election to strategise across government and with experts on how to reduce the UK’s high rates of child poverty.

With 43% of children in single-parent families living in poverty, and these families facing higher risks of food insecurity, fuel poverty, and problems with debt compared to couple-parent households, the strategy comes at a crucial time.

Ahead of its publication, Gingerbread campaigned for reforms to better support single-parent families, so we’re pleased the strategy recognises the importance of this. We’re also delighted that our research is cited in the evidence pack underpinning the strategy.

Many measures in the strategy have been announced previously and further reforms are needed to meaningfully address child poverty, but as a whole, the strategy represents a positive first step. Additionally, its recognition of childcare challenges, lack of flexible working, and eroded social security as key drivers of poverty lay the foundation for future reforms in these areas.

Where does the strategy succeed for single-parent families?

We welcome the strategy’s recognition of the vital role child maintenance plays in reducing child poverty among single-parent families. We also welcome the government’s restatement of plans to consolidate the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) into a single service-type, similar to Collect and Pay, and to consult on child maintenance calculations. This is a reform Gingerbread has long campaigned for through our #FixtheCMS campaign, and government estimates suggest it could lift 20,000 children out of poverty on its own.

At Gingerbread, we know many single-parent families face significant challenges with the CMS. Those who do not receive the right amount of child maintenance experience severe financial pressures, with 52% struggling to pay essential bills. Where child maintenance is received, it reduces the child poverty rate by 25%. These reforms have the potential to make a real difference, and we remain committed to working with the government to ensure they are implemented effectively.

In relation to social security, the strategy highlights several positive changes that have been previously announced, including increases to the Universal Credit standard allowance and lower deductions. A particularly significant measure is the restatement of the removal of the Two-Child Limit on Universal Credit. Over half of the households affected by this limit are single-parent families, and its removal could lift 40,000 children out of poverty by 2030.

In addition, the child element of Universal Credit will be increased. According to government estimates, around 560,000 families will see higher benefits by 2029–30. This is a major win for our #SupportNotPunish campaign. It addresses a longstanding inequality in the system and will make a real difference for many single-parent families.

In terms of employment and childcare, the strategy reaffirms the expansion of 30 hours of government-funded childcare in September, and confirms that the Department for Education will lead a wider review of childcare. It also notes that the Employment Rights Bill will improve access to flexible working by introducing a new ‘reasonableness test’ to ensure feasible requests are accepted.

A particularly welcome new measure, is that parents on Universal Credit who are returning to work from parental leave will be able to access support to cover upfront childcare costs. This breaks down a barrier that has prevented many from returning to work, and, again, is a reform Gingerbread has campaigned for.

What are the gaps in the strategy?

We are disappointed that the strategy does not include the abolition of the Benefit Cap, a policy that limits the total amount claimable under Universal Credit. Almost 70% of households affected by the cap are single-parent families, and over half of these have a youngest child under five years old. Leaving the cap in place means that, despite the removal of the two-child limit, thousands of families in the deepest poverty will continue to have their income restricted. Significant and sustained investment in social security, beyond the measures announced, is needed to meaningfully tackle child poverty.

Greater reforms are also needed to ensure that childcare is genuinely affordable and accessible for single-parent families. In particular, we would have liked to see an expansion of the government’s 30 hours of funded childcare offer to include single parents in education or training.

Finally, we are disappointed by the lack of numerical targets in the strategy, which makes it difficult to track progress and ensure that promised actions translate into meaningful change.

Next steps:

The publication of this strategy is a positive step forward, but it cannot be the end of the story. While it contains many welcome policy commitments, it misses key opportunities to maximise its impact for single-parent families and children across the UK. Gingerbread will continue to engage with the government and amplify the voices of single-parent families to secure the support they deserve.

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