An emotional day today, my last working for @cpaguk.bsky.social In January I'm starting as social change manager @turn2us.org.uk It has been such a privilege to work with the brightest, kindest people during my time at CPAG. Behold the magnificent gingerbread trophies they made for my send off!

There was a welcome fall in the *price* of food last month, as costs dropped by 0.2 per cent on the previous month. But this chart reminds you that the big picture remains one of a huge rise in the cost of essentials, hitting those on lower incomes hardest.

Over half of teachers in England have worked with children who are homeless in the last year, new research shows – with those pupils are arriving at school exhausted, missing school days, and experiencing poor mental health schoolsweek.co.uk/52-of-teache...

Festive activities should be open to everyone. Schools could offer free or low-cost events, supported by PTA or community resources, so all pupils can take part. Learn more about making activities accessible here. https://neu.org.uk/latest/library/tackling-poverty-classroom #NoChildLeftBehind

'I will never be sorry for standing my ground and standing up for what I believe is right.' Vital, if hard to read, words from Stacey @changingrealities.bsky.social about why she won't be stopped from speaking out about poverty by trolls www.changingrealities.org/blog/why-i-w...

Plugging this as a reminder, if there are deadlines that may affect you, you may need to take action or get a fit note dated before the 5th January. Do read to make sure you're prepared:

What difference will scrapping the two-child limit make to children's lives? Shauna says she'll be able to buy her children a new mattress.

Chancellor said lifting 2-child limit means "Biggest reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since records began." Estimated 400k reduction would be, but modelling is always uncertain. What is certain is that removing the 2 Child Limit is pivotal to the fall.

"The removal of the two-child limit brings my family a deep sense of relief. Without the cap hanging over me, I finally feel less weighed down by constant financial worry and more able to make choices that genuinely reflect what each of my boys’ need." (Kim, CR parent) #2CL #Budget 🧵1/3

Scrapping the two-child limit will be transformational for children.

A wonderful day for children's rights, as the two-child limit is finally consigned to history 🎉 Very proud of everyone who has worked so hard to make the case for its abolition. Especially colleagues at @cpaguk.bsky.social, who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue for so many years.

When the state fails to provide families with enough money to live on, other public services pay the cost. Educators, in particular, go above and beyond to mitigate the child poverty crisis caused by insufficient social security. Many do so out of their own wages. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

It's pretty hard to have a serious discussion about child poverty and still be entertaining, but this podcast manages it!

With govt’s child poverty strategy expected soon, new evidence shows most teachers want more action on child poverty. 86% of teachers polled by @NEUnion say child poverty is limiting opportunity for their pupils to some extent. Two in five say it's limiting it greatly. 1/5

We’re expecting the Child Poverty Strategy any day. We asked children what they’d like to say to the PM about their hopes and concerns. Banujan, Year 7, said: ‘It’s hard to feel happy if you don’t have enough food, warm clothes, or a safe place to live...

Growing up in poverty violates children's rights in multiple ways every day. As Sioned says, it's not an abstract economic condition but a persistent violation of dignity, security and health. Full incorporation of the UNCRC is long overdue. All public bodies in Wales should operate in its scope.

Less than two weeks till the budget. Today, I'm sharing a letter sent to MPs by parents affected by the two-child limit & benefit cap a year ago, which set out their simple plea that every child be treated the same. Listen and share it (please) @cpaguk.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kW-...

We’ve joined more than 100 organisations in calling on the government to scrap the two-child limit in full. Every child deserves the best start in life, yet this policy is pushing too many families into hardship. Read more here: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli... @cpaguk.bsky.social

At the Cost of the School Day summit young people told Scotland's First Minister what more they think needs to happen in their schools to make sure poverty doesn't have an impact on learning. Find out more: tinyurl.com/2t4cpbfu

Interesting to note how designing pleasant dining spaces and using coproduction to develop menus helps young people in Sweden make the most of the free food on offer in their schools.

We’re turning 60! Join our live broadcast marking 60 years of Child Poverty Action Group, featuring keynote speaker Rt Hon Gordon Brown. 📅Thursday 6 November ⏰9:45–11:45 am (online via Zoom) Register for your free place: cpag.org.uk/60years

109 kids are falling into poverty every day because of the two-child limit. The government must scrap it for all children. Please share.

Our new analysis shows how many children could be lifted out of poverty by 2029/30 if the two-child limit on Universal Credit would be abolished: England: 626,022 children Scotland: 51,036 children Wales: 54,722 children NI: 9,791 children #EndChildPoverty

📢Young disabled people could face benefit cuts of more than £420 a month if government plans go ahead. Young people deserve real support - not cuts that could push them into poverty. New blog from me & @victoria-anns.bsky.social: medium.com/p/62015a6f0b12

🚨 Today we at @turn2us.org.uk are in parliament to launch our new report and campaign to #StopTheStigma and fix the system. Almost all of us will need our social security system at some point in our lives, but our society's distrust of claimants has been baked into its policies and practice...(1/6)

New @resfoundation.bsky.social analysis: Any of the rumoured half-measure options for repealing the two-child limit would leave child poverty HIGHER at the end of the Parliament than it was when the Government took power. 🧵https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/no-half-measures/

New post out: "The worst social policy ever" Today we have a guest post from @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social on the abomination that is the two-child limit and why Labour need to scrap it ASAP. Lots of data but also powerful testimony. (Free to read) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

In this by-election, the Nation of Sanctuary scheme was twisted beyond recognition. Caerphilly’s Ukrainian community had to fight alone. If there’s a system to deal with misinformation, it’s invisible. And if it exists, it’s too slow and broken to matter ✍️ Yuliia Bond

We learnt today that annual CPI inflation was 3.8% in September 2025. The Universal Credit Act 2025 increases the rate of the standard allowance in Universal Credit by 2.3% after applying this inflation, meaning an increase of around 6.2% in April 2026.

Excellent analysis of the issues with FSM as a proxy for educational disadvantage. Wide variation over time and place in which groups qualify, whether they actually enrol, and the type of additional support provided as a result. Variation between different ethnic groups is particularly stark.

It's #ChallengePovertyWeek, and if you read one thing, I'd recommend this article by @ilonapin.bsky.social She explores how the UK's asylum and immigration system is leaving many children without the resources they need to access their education. cpag.org.uk/news/learnin...

Homelessness stats just out show another new record in households (132k) and children (172k) living in temporary accommodation. Up 7.5% in last year www.gov.uk/government/s...

Population Health: Strongest Start. A conference to build knowledge, share inspiration and drive action to shape better lives for babies, children and young people. 📅 Date: 20th November 2025 📍 Location: St James’ Park, Newcastle 🎟️Tickets available here: https://loom.ly/jXbIPsA #CPHCNE25

Hidden school hunger & school meals debt: The families of almost 1 in 4 pupils ineligible for free school meals are in debt because they cannot afford the cost of school lunches. Research from @aberlourcharity.bsky.social raises fears over 'hidden hunger' in #schools: buff.ly/qNrDSpU

A south Wales foodbank is calling for an end to uncapped GP charges for providing diagnosis confirmation letters required to access disability benefits

Current proposals will make it even harder for people with cancer to get financial support for the extra costs it brings. Scrapping WCA means many patients will have to meet PIP criteria instead. PIP currently fails to recognise the specific and unique ways cancer treatment disables people.

To reduce child poverty, government must scrap the two-chid limit. And that means fully scrapping it – no benefit cap, no tapers, no new limit. All children deserve the best start in life, and messing around the edges of this policy won’t cut it. 2/2

Today, we're at Labour Party Conference where Jonny Roberts is speaking at a @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe setting out what action Labour needs to take in order to take decisive action on child poverty [sneak preview of what he may say here 🧵]

Every day, 109 children are pulled into poverty by the two child limit. Thousands of families have been affected since Labour took power. Childhoods are short and you only get one. Time is well overdue to scrap the 2 child limit and the benefit cap.

Please do read and share this thread on @changingrealities.bsky.social parents and carers take on what needs to be in the schools white paper. Echoes much of what @johnharris1969.bsky.social said yesterday, & what thousands of parents are calling for.

The "cost of living crisis" might be yesterday's news to some, but for people on low incomes facing food insecurity, the rising price of basics is still a major issue

1 million children in working families are hit by the two-child limit. We asked parents how it affects them and their kids.

New @cpaguk.bsky.social research reveals pupils on free school meals are being ‘bounced out’ of GCSE subjects like geography, languages, music & PE — not by choice, but by cost. Read more: tinyurl.com/2bspun9b #EducationForAll #ChildPoverty

New briefing taking a deeper look behind the free school meal data in Wales. The number of e-FSM children in Wales has fallen since Welsh Govt began to phase out transitional protection. We estimate 25,000 secondary learners in poverty can't get a free school dinner due to the £7,400 means test.

New @cpaguk.bsky.social research shows secondary pupils on FSM are being ‘bounced out’ of subjects like geography, languages, music, and PE—not by choice, but due to cost. CPAG calls for scrapping the two-child benefit cap in the Autumn child-poverty strategy. 1/2

🚨 Today we launched a joint briefing with Gingerbread, @runnymedetrust.bsky.social @z2ktrust.bsky.social @praxisprojects.bsky.social and others on how child poverty affects different groups & the inclusive govt actions needed to tackle it. Link below ⬇️ bit.ly/47RgwvM

School costs can be a challenge all year round, but September often brings the biggest outlays on uniform and kit. Too many children in poverty miss out on the School Essentials Grant because the eligibility threshold has been frozen since 2019. Meanwhile, the cost of school keeps rising.

Pupils in England from low-income families ‘bounced out’ of costlier GCSEs

We worked with @sionedplaid.bsky.social to make an Easy Read version of her new survey. www.ldw.org.uk/er-work/easy... It is about the UK Government’s plans to change disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC).

NEW - track key changes to health-related and disability benefits all in one place, from the Pathways to Work Green Paper, Universal Credit Bill and Employment Rights Bill: cpag.org.uk/welfare-righ...