Child Poverty in the UK: Understanding its nature, causes and consequences

“Child Poverty in the UK: Understanding its nature, causes and consequences”
with Dr Gill Main
Child poverty has featured in the news and in policy debates for decades under both Labour and Conservative governments. More recently, media coverage has highlighted the growing numbers of children falling into poverty following substantial cuts to public spending, whilst some politicians have challenged the definition and measures of child poverty.
Since we know that child poverty damages children and societies, why is it so difficult to come to an agreement on what it is and what to do about it?
Gill will provide some background context about child poverty, discuss why it is so difficult to come up with a definition that we can agree on and detail some of the changes that might be needed, in policy and in popular and media representations of poverty, to make a sustained difference to the lives of children in poverty and the adults those children become.
Dr Gill Main is an Associate Professor in the School of Education, at the University of Leeds. Her research focuses on child poverty, social exclusion, and well-being. She is currently leading a project which focuses on the links between child poverty and subjective well-being.
Previously her work has included the largest-scale study of poverty and social exclusion in the UK, collaboration with The Children’s Society investigating children’s perspectives on their material needs, and international projects with UNICEF and other agencies.
Gill is co-editor of the Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, and has recently published a co-edited book – Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK.