1 in 3 children in London live in poverty. This is unacceptable. With the publication of a national Child Poverty Strategy, what does this mean for London?

On December 5th 2025, national government released its long-anticipated Child Poverty Strategy – Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty. This set a 10-year mission to reduce child poverty across the country. It focuses on three pillars of action: boosting family incomes, driving down the cost of essentials, and strengthening local support.

This is a critical step forward for London. Child poverty in the capital remains unacceptably high. In every London borough except one, at least one in five children live in poverty after housing costs. In some boroughs, like Tower Hamlets, nearly half of all children are growing up below the poverty line.

The new government strategy includes several measures which will positively impact on children and families in poverty in London, from supporting families in temporary accommodation to reducing the cost of childcare. In particular, the abolition of the two-child benefit cap will make a significant difference to larger families.

However, the strategy alone will not solve child poverty in the capital. Further national interventions, alongside effective implementation at a city and local level, will determine its success.

Following the publication of the national strategy, Centre for London, Trust for London and 4in10 London’s Child Poverty Network convened voices from across London’s civil society, city and local government to explore the following questions:

  • What will need to be true for our efforts on child poverty to succeed in this changing environment?
  • Which challenges can we address better by working together across boroughs or sectors?

This briefing captures the insights from these discussions, setting out key conclusions or areas for further action. In addition, it highlights examples of effective interventions already tackling child poverty in London and across the UK, through a series of case studies.

Child poverty is a cross-sector, cross-departmental and cross-borough issue. If we are to reduce child poverty and ensure children can grow up free from its harms, London must commit to a consistent, sustained, city-wide effort to address the root causes.