CNC helps shed light on poverty in the UK

Child of the New Century is helping to explain how financial hardship can affect children and families.

Researchers at the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, which manages Child of the New Century, found that more than half of the children born in the UK at the turn of the millennium experienced poverty at some point during their first 11 years.

The study is one of the most useful ways for the government and others to understand the true extent of child poverty in the UK today, because of the detailed information it collects.

Parents who took part in the Age 11 Survey were asked if they or their child spent money on a particular item or activity, and if not whether that was because they could not afford to or did not want to. For example, parents were asked whether they were able to afford an annual holiday for themselves and their child.

The good news is that the majority of Children of the New Century were not deprived. However, children who had been living in poverty all their lives did appear to be substantially more disadvantaged than other children.

The Age 11 Survey also showed that most children were happy with their life overall, regardless of their families’ financial circumstances.