Child poverty is a child rights issue, which requires a child rights-based response

Article by Rachel Fox , Senior Policy Adviser on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at UNICEF UK 

This week, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights urged the UK Government to address rising levels of child poverty in the UK. This group of human rights experts called for the removal of the two-child limit and the benefit cap, and recommended a ‘child rights-based approach’ to ending child poverty.  

The Committee’s recommendations on a range of issues follow its recent review of how well the UK is meeting its commitments under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which covers rights that make a difference to everyday life, such as education, healthcare and living standards. I attended the review on behalf of UNICEF UK, which took place in Geneva in February, to share our key priorities for children – including serious concerns over the 4.3 million children living in poverty in the UK .  

Right now, the UK Government is developing a new Child Poverty Strategy. It is vital that this responds to the Committee’s call for action – and to similar recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2023 on improving the UK’s compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Here, we set out six key things that the UK Government should do to embed a child rights-based approach into its strategy.  

1. Recognise child poverty as a child rights issue with a legal duty to respond: 

First and foremost, the UK Government’s Child Poverty Strategy must recognise child poverty as a child rights issue. ICESCR includes the right to an adequate standard of living for people of all ages, including sufficient food, clothing and housing.  UNCRC Article 27 specifies children’s right to living standards that are adequate to support their ‘physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development’. Child poverty can also adversely affect many other rights, clearly shown by the fact that young children growing up in poverty are more likely to experience a range of physical and mental health conditions in childhood and throughout their lives, and to have poorer educational outcomes and economic prospects.  

A child rights standpoint helps us to understand the multifaceted impacts of poverty on children and the need for a holistic response. Crucially, it also means that the UK Government should take steps to lift children out of poverty as a matter of legal duty.  

2. Put children’s best interests at the centre: 

In line with UNCRC Article 3, children’s best interests must be ‘a primary consideration’ in decisions or actions that affect them. We know that certain policies – notably the two-child limit and the benefit cap – are keeping many children in poverty and fail to place children’s best interests at the centre. Any credible Child Poverty Strategy must therefore overturn these policies as a matter of urgency. This is reflected in the UN Committee recommendations earlier this week, which asked the UK to provide an update on removing these policies within 24 months, ahead of its standard reporting timeline – a process reserved for priority issues.  

3. Ensure meaningful participation of children and young people: 

A child rights-based approach also requires meaningful involvement of children and young people. As well as following UNCRC Article 12 on children’s right to be heard, which is a core principle of the Convention, listening to children affected by poverty in developing and delivering the strategy – and giving real consideration to their views – will undoubtedly strengthen its effectiveness. As the development of the Child Poverty Strategy continues, it is vital that children and young people are meaningfully engaged, and we want to see their continued involvement in arrangements for monitoring the strategy’s impact.   

4. Focus on children in groups disproportionately affected by poverty: 

In its 2023 recommendations, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child asked that measures to tackle child poverty have ‘a particular focus on children in disadvantaged situations,’ including children in lone parent and large families, disabled children, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children, asylum-seeking and refugee children and those leaving care. It is vital that children in groups that are disproportionately affected by poverty are not overlooked in efforts to drive down overall poverty rates by ensuring that their specific needs receive attention in the Child Poverty Strategy.  This reflects UNCRC Article 2 on non-discrimination.  

5. Conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment: 

A key tool for embedding a child rights-based approach is to carry out a comprehensive Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA). In setting out what the UNCRC requires, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child states that governments should assess the impact of any proposed law, policy or budgetary decision that could affect children to ensure that all their rights are respected.  Conducting a CRIA of the Child Poverty Strategy, informed by the views of children with experience of poverty, would enable the UK Government to consider and address all potential impacts on children’s rights. 

6. Establish accountability mechanisms: 

Both the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child called for clear targets and oversight mechanisms as part of measures to address child poverty. This is an essential component of a rights-based approach, ensuring the UK Government can be held accountable for delivering the strategy and upholding children’s rights. 

The Child Poverty Strategy should be a key opportunity to achieve real change for children. To make the strategy effective – and ensure it meets international human rights obligations – UNICEF UK calls on the UK Government to take a child rights-based approach.