A new report entitled ‘Potential Not Poverty’ has been published, bringing together evidence and lived experience to highlight both the scale of child poverty in the UK and the opportunities being lost as a result.
The report, developed through collaboration between leading charities and advocacy organisations including Save the Children UK and partners across the child poverty sector, argues that millions of children are being held back not by lack of ability, but by lack of opportunity. It calls for a renewed national focus on unlocking children’s potential through targeted policy action and investment.
The publication comes at a time when child poverty remains at persistently high levels. Recent figures show that around 4.5 million children in the UK are living in poverty, equivalent to nearly one in three children. (Save the Children UK)
This has profound consequences for children’s health, education and life chances, with wider impacts on communities and the economy. As highlighted in the report, poverty is not only about income, but about restricted opportunities – from missing out on school activities to facing long-term barriers to employment and wellbeing.
At the heart of ‘Potential Not Poverty’ is a shift in narrative: away from deficit-based thinking and towards recognising the strengths, ambitions and talents of children and young people.
The report draws on insights from families and young people themselves, illustrating how structural barriers — including low incomes, insecure work, and rising living costs — limit what children are able to achieve. It emphasises that with the right support, these same children can thrive.
The report sets out a series of recommendations aimed at national and local government, as well as partners across the voluntary and community sector. These include:
- Strengthening social security to ensure families can meet basic needs
- Investing in early years support and education
- Reducing the cost of the school day
- Embedding the voices of children and families in policy design
- Coordinated action across government to tackle the root causes of poverty
These proposals align with wider calls from organisations such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and others, who have warned that without sustained action, poverty levels are likely to remain high or increase in the coming years.
Find out more and read the report here.