Reverse the benefit cap to tackle poor child health

Poverty is a disaster for children’s health.1 It causes poor child health outcomes and worsening physical and mental health. It undermines children’s learning, social wellbeing, and education. And it risks lower adult productivity and lifelong health.2

Rising child poverty, coupled with cuts to services that support children and families under the banner of austerity, have contributed to worrying trends in UK child health over recent years across key outcomes.1 Life expectancy at birth has stalled: between 2015 and 2020, the life expectancy inequality gap grew from 9.4 to 9.7 years for male children and from 7.4 to 7.9 years for female.3 Infant mortality rates have increased, with stubborn inequalities between the most and least deprived local authorities; the absolute inequalities gap of two children per 1000 has now persisted for 14 years.4 Inequalities in child obesity have widened across all age and sex groups.5

Recognising the health damaging effects of child poverty, the government has set up a child poverty task force.6 To date, the policy debate has focused on the two child benefit …