In March 1999 the UK Government pledged to end child poverty within a generation, and to halve it by 2010.

The Labour government have a number of polices directed at alleviating poverty. These have focused on support for children mainly through the education system; support for parents directed at making work pay, childcare and parenting initiatives; and changes in fiscal support for children and families through the tax and benefit system. The Government’s welfare reforms have been based on the principle of ‘work for those who can, security for those who cannot’. The main focus of benefits policy and delivery has been on the former.

Many groups of people face particular barriers to finding and keeping paid work. Many cannot work due to old age, illness, disability, mental disorder, frailty, and caring/family responsibilities. Standards of living are particularly low for many non-working families, who are four times more likely to experience severe hardship than those who are working.