Economic growth alone will not be enough to help the millions of children living in poverty, according to a damning report.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said the government must spend more on benefits - including lifting the two child benefit cap - if it is to make any progress on the issue by the next election.

According to the latest official statistics, 14.35 million people in the UK were living in relative low income in the year to March 2023, with some 4.33 million of them - around 1 in 3 - being children. 

Keir Starmer has repeatedly said that boosting economic growth is the number one priority of his government.

Cabinet ministers have even been told to ditch policies which will not help to grow the economy.

The JRF report said: “It is almost certain that economic stability is necessary to sustainably reduce poverty.

“However, economic growth on its own won’t reduce poverty, and it is deeply unjust to force families to wait for economic growth before they feel their situation improve, especially given the picture of deepening poverty.”

JRF chief executive Paul Kissack said: “Child poverty will only be driven down through focused, deliberate and determined policy action.

“Even very strong economic growth won’t automatically change the picture.

“Policy action must start with the system designed to help people meet their costs of living – social security.

“At the moment, that system is not only failing to do its job but, worse, actively pushing some people into deeper poverty, through cruel limits and caps.”

Lib Dem Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “From their refusal to scrap the two child benefit cap and their heartless decision to cut the winter fuel payments, this government has done next to nothing to tackle the growing poverty pandemic in this county.

“Ministers need to reverse these policies or we will continue to see these intolerable situations.

“It’s heartbreaking that so many people are still struggling to afford the very basics - with the numbers only growing. And it’s unacceptable that in 2025, families have to worry how they’ll keep a roof over their children’s heads, and some pensioners have to choose between heating and eating. 

“This deep poverty is a scar on the nation made by the Conservative Party but the Labour government has so far just sat on its hands.” 

A government spokesperson said: “No child should be in poverty – that’s why our ministerial taskforce is exploring all levers available across government to give children across the United Kingdom the best start in life.”

The spokesperson said the government was increasing the living wage, uprating benefits and making changes to Universal Credit to support 700,000 of the poorest families.