Child Poverty

To identify the major causes and
impacts of child poverty in United
Kingdom

ABSTRACT
Child Poverty is considered to be a situation where children of society are facing extreme
scarcity of financial resources. To identify the major causes and impacts of child poverty in
United Kingdom is the major aim of the current investigation. For attaining this aim author will
focus on major concepts of child poverty, risk factors and effects of child poverty on child’s
education, health and communities. Author has used secondary data collection method for
collecting appropriate facts and figures. In addition, researcher has used descriptive research
design, qualitative research technique, secondary data collection method and thematic analysis
for conducting investigation on child poverty. Using all these methods author has found that Low
wages, unemployment, low income families high expenses are the major reasons which creates
problem of finance and that lead poverty. In addition, single and teenage parents are also
considered as major causes of child poverty. Further, study has also concluded that all these
causes increases child poverty which have negative impacts on education, health and
communities. So, government of UK needs to pay attention towards the resolving the issue of
child poverty.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Background..................................................................................................................................1
Aim and Objectives.....................................................................................................................2
Research questions.......................................................................................................................3
Rational........................................................................................................................................3
Timescale.....................................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................5
Introduction..................................................................................................................................5
Child poverty...............................................................................................................................6
Causes of child poverty...............................................................................................................7
Risk factors of the child poverty in UK.......................................................................................8
Effects of child poverty...............................................................................................................9
Ways for ending child poverty..................................................................................................10
Research gap..............................................................................................................................11
METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................11
Research Philosophy..................................................................................................................11
Research Design........................................................................................................................11
Research Approach....................................................................................................................12
Technique of Research..............................................................................................................12
Data Collection..........................................................................................................................12
Data Analysis.............................................................................................................................13
Ethical Consideration.................................................................................................................13
Limitation of Research..............................................................................................................14
Results and Findings......................................................................................................................14
Thematic analysis......................................................................................................................14
Discussion......................................................................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................17
Recommendation...........................................................................................................................18
references.......................................................................................................................................20

TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: facts and figure for child poverty and household income below of UK average.............2
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Gantt chart for conducting investigation on child poverty in UK.....................................3

INTRODUCTION
Child poverty can be defined as a phenomenon which is usually considered as the poverty
experienced by children and young people. The problem of childhood poverty gives its long
scratches across the nations. UK is one of the major country which is also facing the problem of
child poverty (Taylor-Robinson and et.al, 2013). It is applied to children those belong to poor
families and living their lives with limited, some and absent of necessary resources. Due to this
problem most of the children cannot meet the minimum standards of living. There are different
ways by which child poverty can be measured. Easiest way to quantify the child poverty is to set
a monetary threshold and line of poverty. If any family is not capable to earn the amount of
monetary threshold than children of that family will be considered as poor. It affects the social,
education and physical development of children of UK. So, it is one of the major issue for this
nations (Aldridge and Kenway, 2014).
The current research study is based on child poverty in UK. It will focus on determining
the major causes and impacts of this issue. Further, focus will also give on different risk factors
which increases the level of child poverty in nation. For conducting investigation in proper
manner author will follow an appropriate process which will comprise literature review, research
methodology and analysis section (Child poverty, 2015). All these stages help in resolving
research problem and getting appropriate solution with respect to the causes and impacts of Child
poverty in UK.
Background
Government of UK and respective authority has declared that monetary threshold for
family with two adults and two children is £349 each week. It helps in living their life with
appropriate standards of the above the poverty line. Findings of the census survey of UK has
reflected that there are currently in UK 3.7 million children living in poverty. In which 1.7
million children are suffering form the problem of severe poverty. Overall, 63% children are
living with the difficulties of poverty in this nation (Child poverty facts and figures, 2015).
Statistics and facts have reflected that child poverty affect child’s education, health and daily
lives of families and entire community of UK. According to the data, only 48% children on 5
years old are entitled with the free schools meals and effective level of development and rest of
the children are included in the group of poverty. Families living in poverty have £13 per day per
person to buy necessary thing for living their daily life. Therefore, poverty affect the entire

family and their growth and development (Bradshaw, 2013). So, government of the UK has
introduced Child Poverty Act 2010 to end this issue by 2020. But on the other hand as result of
the Coalition Government’s policies is it predicted by the different research scholars that 1
million children will be pushed into poverty by 2020/21.
Figure 1: facts and figure for child poverty and household income below of UK average
(Source: Child poverty definition to be changed, 2015)
So, statistical facts and figures have reflected that child poverty is a serious issue which
can affect the growth and economic development of UK so, government needs to pay attention
towards the same.
Aim and Objectives
Aim:
“To identify the major causes and impacts of child poverty in United Kingdom”.
Objectives:
 To understand the major concepts of child poverty.
 To identify the major risk factors of the child poverty in UK.
2 | P a g e