More than half of children in some parts of Greater Manchester are living in poverty, new research has revealed. The north west has the highest level of child poverty in the UK with 37 per cent of children in the region reported as living in relative poverty last year. Campaigners have called for ‘decisive action’ to address the rising rate of child poverty, arguing that it is a key election issue for families across the country. It comes as the research carried out by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition reveals that 90 per cent of parliamentary constituencies in the North West have a quarter or more of children living in poverty. Under new constituency boundaries, Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton has the highest rate of child poverty in the region. At 53.5 per cent, this constituency has the third highest rate of child poverty in the UK with Oldham East and Saddleworth in eighth place. READ MORE: The 12 Greater Manchester seats to keep an eye on at the general election Manchester Rusholme, Manchester Central and Blackley and Middleton South and Bolton North East also have child poverty rates of more than 50 per cent. Altrincham and Sale West had the lowest rate of child poverty across the region at 14.7 per cent in 2022/23. Greater Manchester Poverty Action works with families living in poverty. One single mum from Stretford who has been supported by the charity recently fell into money problems after the birth of her daughter who is now eight years old and showing signs of autism. She said: “You have to sacrifice a lot. You always have to say, ‘oh, I’ll have to get that next month’. Because by the time I’ve paid all my bills, I’ve literally got nothing left. “It makes me feel rubbish. I don’t have a nice place to live to call home, I don’t like anyone coming round because I feel embarrassed. “It definitely affects my mental health and it definitely sometimes affects my daughter’s mental health too. You want to do more and you want to give them the life you want to – but you can’t. And there’s nothing out there to make it better.” The mum, who asked to remain anonymous, was put in touch with Greater Manchester Poverty Action’s Money Matters programme by her daughter’s school. The programme helps people make sure they receive the benefits they are entitled to and to manage debts. Greater Manchester Poverty Action CEO Graham Whitham said: “The new data released today really illustrates the appalling levels of poverty we are seeing in the North West. Nearly four in ten children are now living in poverty across the region – with this figure rising to one in two in the worst-hit constituencies. “For many this means being excluded from activities like school trips and days out, not having clothes that fit them, going to school hungry, and in some cases sharing a bed or sleeping on the floor. “No child should go without the things they need to be healthy and happy. We urgently need to see a commitment from the incoming government to develop a national mission to end poverty, backed by a clear anti-poverty strategy with real policy change. Whichever party forms the next government, they must commit to ending the cruel two-child limit policy – which forces parents into unimaginable choices, denies families the support they need from our social security system, and limits the potential of thousands of children and young people across our country. “At a local level, we urge employers to pay the Living Wage and encourage local authorities to develop their own anti-poverty strategies, which implement robust responses to poverty in their communities.”
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