Senior faith leaders have issued a joint response to the government’s recently published Child Poverty Strategy. In it, they “celebrate” the most significant policy change in the strategy, the removal of the two-child limit on benefits, which is set to directly lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of the decade. Faith groups had campaigned against the limit since its inception.
Signatories to the statement include Bishops representing the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church, Senior Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, leaders from the Church of Scotland, Baptist Union, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church, a representative of Sikhs in Scotland, and the Territorial Leaders of the Salvation Army.
The faith leaders have written jointly to the government on two occasions over the last year, encouraging an ambitious and decisive strategy to tackle rising levels of child poverty. Explaining their concern, they say “as faith leaders we are deeply aware of the effects of poverty on our communities, many of which increasingly feel forgotten and overlooked. It is simply wrong that millions of children across the UK have their health, wellbeing and opportunities blighted by poverty.”
The strategy is commended as revealing “with depth and clarity the issues that need to be addressed to turn the tide on child poverty,” but the leaders go on to observe that “it is clear that this strategy alone will not deliver the lasting change we hope to see.” Beyond the scrapping of the two-child limit, the government’s figures show that the other measures committed to within the strategy, many of which are welcome changes, will nonetheless have limited impact.
Calling for “sustained political focus, sufficient resources, and the ongoing involvement of those who bring direct lived experience of poverty” – building on the partnership approach taken to developing the strategy – the leaders commit to continuing to play their part “in pursuit of a better future for all our children”.
Full statement:
The Government’s Child Poverty Strategy is a welcome step in the right direction. As faith leaders we are deeply aware of the effects of poverty on our communities, many of which increasingly feel forgotten and overlooked. We wrote to the Prime Minister and Chancellor earlier this year calling for ambitious and decisive action to drive down child poverty. It is simply wrong that millions of children across the UK have their health, wellbeing and opportunities blighted by poverty.
The strategy reveals with depth and clarity the issues that need to be addressed to turn the tide on child poverty. We celebrate the removal of the two-child limit, and commend the government for taking this bold action. People of faith have long opposed the limit because of our enduring commitment to the equal and immeasurable value of every child. Support through the social security system should be determined on the basis of need, not family size. It is regrettable, therefore, that the household benefit cap will continue to trap many families and households in poverty.
It is clear that this strategy alone will not deliver the lasting change we hope to see. That will require sustained political focus, sufficient resources, and the ongoing involvement of those who bring direct lived experience of poverty. In our communities and places of worship we will continue to play our part, alongside national and local government, businesses, charities and people of goodwill, in pursuit of a better future for all our children.
Revd Richard Andrew, President of the Methodist Conference, The Methodist Church
Rt Revd John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford
Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen, former Co-Chair, Assembly of Reform Rabbis and Cantors
Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Matthew Forsyth, Vice President of the Methodist Conference, The Methodist Church
Rt Revd Rosie Frew, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin – the Jewish voice for human rights
Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main, Territorial Leaders, The Salvation Army UK and Ireland
Ravinder Kaur Nijjar, Advisor, Sikhs in Scotland
Genesis Padgett, Youth President, The Methodist Church
Paul Parker, Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
Paul Rochester, General Secretary, Free Churches Group
Rt Revd Martyn Snow, Lord Bishop of Leicester, Church of England
Catriona Wheeler, General Assembly Moderator, United Reformed Church
Rt Revd Robert Wickham, Chief Executive, Church Urban Fund
Rt Revd and Rt Hon The Lord Williams of Oystermouth (Dr Rowan Williams), former Archbishop of Canterbury
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi, Masorti Judaism
Read more: JPIT’s Paul Morrison explains the context for this response
