Child poverty not just a valleys or cities issue, says expert

Ceredigion, which is home to seaside town Aberystwyth, has the second highest rates of child poverty in Wales

Child poverty in Wales is not just a valleys or cities issue, an expert has warned.

New data shows one in five children in every Welsh county lives in poverty, with an even higher rate in Blaenau Gwent and Ceredigion.

Steffan Evans of the Bevan Foundation said it shows it is a problem in all communities and needs acting on.

The Welsh government said it was putting more than £3.3bn into help schemes in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

On average, more than a quarter (27.9%) of Welsh children were living in poverty in 2021-22 - a reduction from the 29.1% recorded in 2014-15.

The research commissioned by the Bevan Foundation and the Wales Child Poverty Eradication Network shows that the highest rates are in Blaenau Gwent (30.3%) and Ceredigion (30%).

Poverty rates were lowest in Monmouthshire at 21.4%.

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Dr Evans described the report as "heart-breaking".

"It's really difficult to see that so little progress has been made over the last year - and the last decade," he said.

Dr Steffan Evans says the figures were "a big failure across society"

He added that the figures from two very different areas being affected most was an "important message" that child poverty is a "problem in all communities and is something we need to take action on".

The report also highlights that children from larger families are significantly more likely to live in poverty.

Child poverty is measured as anyone living in a household receiving less than 60% of the country's median wage. That wage is £18,700 in Wales.

Dr Evans called on the UK and Welsh governments to prioritise it as a "national problem", and asked people to check what support they are eligible for.

'Not surprised'

Kathryn Wakeman runs a charity that recycles school uniform items and distributes them free of charge to families across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

"The figures don't surprise me... people are telling us that organisations like ourselves are a godsend," she said.

"School uniforms are extremely expensive. When the cost of living is so high it's very difficult - people say it makes a massive, massive difference to be able to sort items like this for them."

She added the charity is now running pop-ups and is "just about keeping up with the demand".

On average 27.9% of Welsh children were living in poverty in 2021-22

The Welsh government said it was "doing everything we can to support people and families through this cost of living crisis".

"This includes providing targeted support towards those who need it most and through programs and schemes that put money back in people's pockets," a spokesperson said.

The UK government said it is committed to helping the most vulnerable. 

"We are providing a £94bn package of immediate cost of living support worth around £3,300 per household," a spokesperson said.

"But in the long-term, the best route out of poverty is through employment, which is why we are boosting our childcare offers to help more parents to re-enter and progress in work.

"The two child policy asks families on benefits to make the same financial decisions as families supporting themselves solely through work, and there continues to be careful exemptions and safeguards in place within the policy to protect people in the most vulnerable circumstances."