117,000 children in Wales in poverty as parents face barriers to work – report
TWO-THIRDS of children living in poverty in Wales could be trapped in hardship because parents face at least one potential barrier to work or taking on more work, new research by Action for Children reveals.
While the UK Government continues to state the best way to stop children growing up poor “is to ensure that they do not grow up in a workless household”, analysis of official data reveals work is often not a route out of hardship for families where every parent is already working full time, or where there is long-term sickness, disability or caring responsibilities.
Wales was found to have the highest rates of poor children in work-constrained families of all UK nations, compared to England (60%), Northern Ireland (58%) and Scotland (57%).
To estimate the number of these children in poverty whose families have barriers to work, Action for Children researchers analysed government data and found that between 2017 and 2022 there were, on average, 117,000 children growing up in “work-constrained” families in Wales.
That’s around two-thirds (65%) of the total number of Wales’ 179,000 children living in relative poverty – which is classed as a net household income of less than 60% of the average (median), after housing costs.
The research found the major barriers to work these families in Wales faced included:
■ Already being in full-time work – around 27,000 children are in poverty despite one or both parents working fulltime, including 17,000 children in couple families where both parents are in full-time work;
■ disability – a further 52,000 children are in poverty where there was at least one disabled parent, and an extra 9,000 children where at least one child was disabled; and
■ caring responsibilities – an extra 27,000 children in poverty where there is at least one child under two; and another 2,000 children in single-parent families in poverty where the parent is working part-time with a child aged two to 10.
A large proportion of these families experienced multiple barriers, meaning they’re even less likely to be able to improve their income by taking on work.
In Wales there were:
■ 76,000 children in families with one barrier to work;
■ 36,000 children with two barriers; and
■ 5,000 with three or more barriers.
Action for Children’s national director in Wales, Julie Gillbanks, said: “Our research shows we need to be honest about why so many children in Wales are growing up poor and confront the myth that work alone is a passport out of poverty.
“In this election year, this is something all political parties must address, further research is needed into the financial challenges facing these working families so we can find more targeted and effective solutions.
“This should be part of a wider programme of reform that strengthens the social security system and tackles the barriers to work and opportunity that are keeping families trapped in poverty.”
Dylan, a mid-Wales single parent and sole full-time carer for his daughter, Kiera, 15, would like to work but such are the responsibilities around looking after Kiera, he considers himself unemployable.
The cost-of-living crisis has seen him take measures like not putting the heating on when his daughter is not in the house and wearing two coats and wrapping himself in blankets to keep warm.
More social care support would allow him to work and contribute to the economy and he was disappointed the social care plan mooted by the UK Government still has not come to fruition.
He said: “I would love to work but for me in my situation as a single parent carer I haven’t got the ability to do that.
“The reasons are there is no day care outside of school hours and I cannot hold a job down because of my caring responsibilities.
“But if there was a way I could do it which is to have more day care, more help and support, I would.
“So some of us can’t just go out and earn a bit more.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “One of the objectives in our recently launched Child Poverty Strategy is to provide pathways out of poverty, including supporting those in work and access to benefit entitlements, that will improve the well-being of children and families living in poverty.
“We are supporting economically inactive people through our Communities for Work+ programme, including providing financial support to address barriers to employment. Families in Wales also need the UK Government to use the many levers in their hands to create a fairer economy that works for everyone.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “There are 1.7 million fewer people living in absolute poverty compared to 2010, including 400,000 children, as we continue to support families with cost of living support worth on average £3,700 per household. Children are five times less likely to experience poverty living in a household where all adults work, compared to those in workless households, which is why this Government has reduced the number of workless households by almost 700,000 since 2010.”