Child poverty

4 in 10 (or 650,000) London children live in poverty and London has the highest proportion of children living in income poverty (after housing costs) of any region in the country.  London Councils is working to reduce child poverty in the capital by changing national policy and improving services for vulnerable families.

Our work: To reduce child poverty London Councils is working to:

• Lobby government to devolve more power and resources to London boroughs and use community budgets as a tool to integrate services better
• Increase the rate of parental employment
• Increase the availability of affordable, flexible childcare
• Encourage employers to provide flexible working arrangements
• Promote the London Living Wage
• Influence and change welfare reform so that a national programme works for Londoners too
• Improve educational attainment for the most disadvantaged children
• Increase the availability of sustainable and affordable housing - see our housing section
• Promote effective early intervention to increase children’s life chances

Our partners: We work in close cooperation with the London boroughs, the Greater London Authority Opens in a new window, the government’s Child Poverty Unit Opens in a new window, and the voluntary and community sector to avoid duplication and make a greater impact.

London Child Poverty Network

London Councils jointly runs the London Child Poverty Network with LG Group.  The Network was set up in 2009 for boroughs and partners to share good practice, discuss local issues and to support pan-London approaches to tackling child poverty.  It meets bi-monthly at London Councils’ offices.