There are more children living in poverty today than there were 30 years ago.
UNICEF/ HQ96-0579/Nicole Toutounji
1 in 3 children in the UK live in poverty today: that's over 3.9 million. This is an unacceptable figure, especially considering the UK is the fifth richest country in the world.
The divide between wealthy and poor is widening, meaning that there are more children living in poverty today than there were 30 years ago. In the late 1970s, for example, the proportion of children living in poverty was just 1 in 10.
But you can act. Support the campaign to end child poverty by sending an online message through Tagd to your MP requesting him/her to write to the Chancellor asking him to prioritise the needs of children living in poverty.
The effects of child poverty
Growing up in poverty means a shorter life expectancy, fewer job and education opportunities and has a huge impact on mental and physical well-being. A girl growing up in Manchester can expect to live six years less than a girl growing up Kensington and Chelsea, one of the richest boroughs in London.
In 1998, the UK government promised to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020. Together, we need to make sure this promise is kept.
Visit the End Child Poverty website.