Adequate standard of living, poverty and social security: UK government action

The CRC recommendation was made in July 2023 and the ICESCR recommendation was made in March 2025.

Before these recommendations were made, the National Health Service in England (NHS) had delivered a variety of health services and treatment options in relation to malnutrition. These were delivered through:

• GP and primary care providers
• NHS dietitians
• community health services
• treatment in hospital in severe cases

The NHS is a public service delivering health care across England, but its national policy, funding and strategy is set by the UK government.

To address under-nutrition or nutrient deficiencies for people on low incomes, the UK government has administered the Healthy Start Scheme for pregnant women and parents of children under four years old since 2006. Pregnant women and parents have continued to be eligible if they claim certain benefits, and the programme consists of vouchers to support the purchase of healthy foods and vitamins. To improve education and awareness of good nutrition, the UK government also publishes and updates the Eatwell Guide, which has been available since 2016. 

In relation to eating disorders, since before these recommendations were made, the NHS in England has run a range of services and programmes to treat specific conditions. These include an early rapid intervention programme, specialised programmes for young people and other initiatives. To address health issues related to obesity, in addition to running specialist clinics, the NHS in England delivers a free 12-week online weight management programme for adults. In August 2025, the UK government announced a new programme for better patient access to weight management treatment in England. New services will be available from summer 2026.

Under the Food Information Regulations 2014, food and drink products sold in England must include nutritional information. This includes information on energy value, fat, saturates, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and salt. Nutritional standards are also in place for state-funded school meals in England, and have been used since the Education (Nutritional Standards for School Lunches) Regulations 2007 passed into law. 

Access to nutritious food for children

Since 2014, free school meals (FSM) have been provided to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2. As of June 2025, FSM eligibility was expanded in England to include all school children from households receiving Universal Credit and some other benefits. FSM eligibility also extends to children in households under certain income thresholds who have the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ immigration condition.

Schools are not currently required to provide breakfast clubs, but UK government funding is available for schools in disadvantaged areas to subsidise breakfast club provision. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2024 to 2025 was introduced in December 2024, with plans to provide breakfast clubs to all state-funded primary schools in England. 750 schools took part in an early adopter scheme from April 2025, and in September 2025, the UK government announced 2,000 additional schools will be added to the scheme from 2026.

Teaching about and promoting healthy lifestyles for children

Maintained schools in England have taught cooking and nutrition as part of the national curriculum in key stages 1, 2 and 3 since September 2014. Teaching about healthy lifestyles also features more broadly across the national curriculum in England as part of physical education and Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). RSHE became a statutory requirement in England from September 2020, following from the Children and Social Work Act 2017. Nutritional standards are in place for state-funded school meals in England.

Assessment up to date as of June 2026. 

The CRC recommendation was made in June 2023, the CERD recommendation was made in September 2024 and the ICESCR recommendation was made in March 2025.

Assessment summary

Overall, since the recommendations were made, levels of support have changed and approaches to benefit level setting and freezes have been implemented at different times. The UK government has increased some benefits in line with inflation, though its approach does not always keep up with the latest changes to living costs.

The UK government has announced its intention to reform the social security system to reduce spending on benefits overall. It subsequently made changes to Universal Credit and is currently undertaking a review of Personal Independence Payments (PIP). It has removed the two-child limit, a policy to restrict the child element of Universal Credit or the Child Tax Credit to the first two children in a household. However, it has not removed the benefit cap or the five-week waiting period before claimants receive their first Universal Credit payment.

The UK government also provided eligible households with some support with the cost of essentials and energy bills, and introduced a Child Poverty Strategy in December 2025, but this strategy does not include clear targets.

Reversing certain social security policies 

Since the recommendations were made, the UK government has reversed the two-child limit, a policy to restrict the child element of Universal Credit or the Child Tax Credit to the first two children in a household. This was done through the Universal Credit (Removal of the Two Child Limit) Act, which became law in March 2026. When the act came into force in April 2026, it removed the ‘two-child limit’ policy, which restricted support households could receive under the child element of Universal Credit to the first two children of a household. 

However, the UK government has not removed the benefit cap for social security. This is the maximum limit on the total amount of working-age benefits a household can receive. It also limits the total amount of benefit a person can claim across many, but not all, benefit types. 

The UK government has also not removed the five-week wait for the first Universal Credit payment. Universal Credit is paid in arrears, after a month of assessed income. This means that new claimants of Universal Credit continue to be subject to a five-week wait for their first payment. Claimants can request an advance to receive a Universal Credit payment sooner, but this puts them in debt to the government and the amount received in advance is deducted from subsequent payments. 

Making sure benefits keep up with the rising cost of living

Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions must review the rates of social security benefits and pensions every year to determine whether they have kept their value. Some benefits have a statutory requirement to be annually uprated in line with changing prices (inflation), where others are at the government’s discretion to determine. For example, disability benefits must, by law, be uprated based on inflation, whereas Universal Credit and employment benefits like Job-seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance do not. In the past, UK governments have implemented freezes on this basis. For example, the standard allowance for Universal Credit was frozen from 2016 to 2020. Despite these different requirements, the UK government is uprating most benefits annually in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), the main measure of inflation.

However, this approach does not always keep up with actual living costs. Inflation is assessed in the 12 months to September before a new fiscal year (which starts in April), when benefits are uprated. This means that benefit levels reflect inflation as it was six months before the increase comes into effect. When inflation remains consistent over time, benefits keep their real-terms value (how much your money can buy in the real world), whereas when inflation rises over a shorter period, between annual uprates, benefit rates fall in real terms.

Under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, people ‘subject to immigration controls’, including asylum seekers, have ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’, except in exceptional circumstances. Asylum seekers who are homeless or who do not have money to buy food can apply for support, including a weekly allowance. The UK government annually reviews the levels of support it gives to asylum seekers, to ensure these cover ‘essential living needs’, using a methodology which includes identifying costs for food compared to non-food items.

Increasing the social security budget

Since the recommendations were made, the UK government has announced that it will be reforming the social security system to reduce spending on benefits. This announcement was made in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and more information was provided in its March 2025 Spring Statement. The UK government subsequently published its Pathways to Work green paper in March 2025, after the recommendations were made. This included proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support which would reduce entitlement levels for certain groups.

The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill was subsequently introduced in June 2025 and sought to legislate on these proposals. In its original form, the bill would have implemented changes in relation to both Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as outlined in the green paper. However, many of the bill’s original reforms were amended, and the final Universal Credit Act, which passed into law in September 2025, made changes to Universal Credit only. These included increasing the standard allowance rates for all claimants and reducing the amount given through the health element for new claimants in the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) category. However, this excludes claimants who meet ‘severe conditions’ criteria and those found to be LCWRA before 6 April 2026. This means that new claimants who do not meet either of these criteria, but who are out of work due to a health condition or disability, receive the lower amount. The UK government is now undertaking a review of PIP in collaboration with disabled people, before considering further reforms.

Action to address poverty

Means-tested council tax support has existed in different forms across the UK since April 2013. In England, this is partially funded by the UK government but managed at the local level. In October 2021, the UK government also introduced the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England. This is a one-off payment for eligible, vulnerable households to help them with the cost of essentials. The amount given varies by local authority. In June 2025, after the recommendations were made, the UK government announced that the HSF will be replaced by a new Crisis and Resilience Fund in England, starting from April 2026.

To support with energy costs, the UK government also offers:

• the Cold Weather Payment for people in England and Wales who receive certain benefits
• the Warm Home Discount for people in England and Wales on low income or on certain benefits
• the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners in England and Wales

The Winter Fuel Payment had previously been available to all pensioners, regardless of income or social security claims. In July 2024, after some of the recommendations were made, the UK government changed the eligibility criteria for Winter Fuel Payment, to take effect from Winter 2024 / 2025. The updated criteria required pensioner households in England and Wales to receive Pension Credit or other relevant means-tested benefits to be eligible for the payment.

However, the UK government subsequently reversed this decision and, in June 2025, the criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment was updated again. The updated criteria as of Winter 2025 / 2026 introduced an income threshold instead. This means that all pensioners in England and Wales with an income of or below £35,000 a year will receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

Anti-poverty strategy

The UK government has not developed an overarching anti-poverty strategy. However, in July 2024, the UK government announced a child poverty taskforce to oversee the development of a new Child Poverty Strategy. The strategy was published in December 2025. While this applies across government, it lacks clear targets and accountability measures. However, the UK government published a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework alongside the strategy. This includes a commitment to setting out further details on how the impact of the strategy will be measured and reported. It also commits to annual reporting following the publication of the baseline report.

Assessment up to date as of June 2026.

The CEDAW recommendation was made in March 2019, the CRC recommendation was made in July 2023 and the ICESCR recommendation was made in March 2025.

The Start for Life programme was introduced by the UK government in March 2021. It set out six areas to improve support for families raising children, from the time of conception to the age of two. The programme included ‘family hubs’ in targeted areas that worked as local information points, connecting parents to other available services, including childcare. In December 2024, the UK government committed to continue funding the Start for Life programme for one more year, before it expanded and changed these Hubs as part of its new Best Start in Life programme.

The Best Start in Life programme is underpinned by the Best Start in Life Strategy, which was introduced in July 2025. The Strategy included further commitments to expand entitlements to subsidised childcare for certain eligible families in England, and to increase its availability. It also introduced the Best Start model, an expanded version of the previous Start for Life programme, and scaled up Family Hubs across England, now called Best Start Family Hubs.

In the Autumn 2025 Budget, the UK government also announced it would lead a review into childcare provision to simplify systems and access for providers and families. This review has not yet published any findings.

Childcare subsidies have been expanded more than once since these recommendations were made. Most recently, from September 2025, entitlement was expanded in England to include:

• 30 hours of funded childcare for working parents of children from 9 months
• 15 hours of early education for all children aged 3 to 4, regardless of parental working patterns or income
• 15 hours of early education for 2-year-olds whose households receive certain benefits, if that child is looked after by a local authority or if they have an Education, Health and Care plan

In September 2026, the UK government opened or expanded around 300 nurseries on school grounds across England, creating new childcare places. The UK government has not taken any action to specifically improve childcare for families in rural and remote areas, or families with irregular work schedules.

There is statutory maternity leave and paternity leave in the UK, as well as a shared parental leave scheme. There is no evidence that the UK government has taken specific action to encourage people to take parental leave. However, from April 2026, as a result of the Employment Rights Act 2025, existing entitlements to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave will be available from the first day of employment, rather than employees having to earn this leave over time.

Assessment up to date as of June 2026.

The CRC recommendation was made in July 2023 and the ICESCR recommendation was made in March 2025.

Since these recommendations were made, in July 2024, the UK government announced a Ministerial Taskforce on Child Poverty to oversee the development of a new cross-government Child Poverty Strategy for the UK. The Child Poverty Strategy was published in December 2025, and a child-friendly version was published in March 2026.

The strategy was informed by engagement with children and young people, as well as organisations that represent them. This included children with special educational needs and disabilities, and those at risk of poverty.

The stated aim of the Child Poverty Strategy is to tackle the root causes of child poverty. The strategy exists alongside more immediate action the UK government is taking, which it envisions as a cohesive piece of work. These actions include:

• introducing legislation to remove the two-child limit on benefits (this is now law and has been in force from April 2026)
• increasing the National Living Wage (came into force in April 2026)
• introducing new workers' rights through the Employment Rights Act 2025, expanding childcare funding (this was committed to in the Autumn 2024 Budget and has been introduced since)
• introducing free breakfast clubs in England (starting from April 2026)
• expanding free school meals (FSM) in England to all children in households receiving Universal Credit (from the September 2026 school year onwards)

The strategy acknowledges how certain protected characteristics, location or other factors can reinforce or influence factors leading to child poverty. However, it does not set out targeted actions to improve outcomes across groups of vulnerable children. It does outline some actions to support children of families with no recourse to public funds (migrants), households with disabled family members and children of single parents. The Equalities Analysis which was published alongside the strategy states the government’s assessment is that policies in the strategy will have either a positive or neutral impact on groups sharing protected characteristics.

The strategy does not mention the CRC, nor refer to child rights explicitly. However, in March 2026, the UK government published a Child Rights Impact Assessment which listed relevant CRC rights, including those related to disabled children and minority groups. The assessment also stated that the strategy would have a positive impact on these rights.

The strategy outlines new action for government, but these actions do not include targets, timelines, reporting obligations or oversight mechanisms. It also does not detail how each action will be resourced. However, the UK government published a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework alongside the strategy. This includes a commitment to publishing a baseline report in summer 2026, which will set out further details on how the impact of the strategy will be measured and reported. It also commits to annual reporting following the publication of the baseline report.

Assessment up to date as of June 2026.

The ICESCR recommendation was made in March 2025. Before this, the UK government already had a statutory duty to create a UK Food Security Report at least once every three years and lay it before parliament under the  . The UK Food Security report was most recently published in December 2024. This report is an analysis of data and includes trends in food availability, supply sources, supply chains, household spending and food safety. However, its purpose is to report data and does not include strategic actions, targets or an assessment process to improve outcomes.

Before the recommendation was made, the UK government commissioned a two-part review into the UK’s food system in June 2019. This became known as the National Food Strategy. Part 1  was published in July 2020 and focused on England. It included some recommendations to tackle food inequality for disadvantaged children following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it also made wider recommendations related to ensuring the food production and supply chain in the UK remained strong in the context of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Part 2 of the strategy was published in July 2021 and also focused on England, although it examined the entire UK food chain. Its recommendations were wide-ranging, but it included some content on reducing food inequalities. It is unclear which actions have been taken forward against these recommendations. Neither Part 1 nor Part 2 included actions specific to food bank use, time-bound targets or assessment. Part 2 included calls for evidence where views of affected groups were considered.    

After this recommendation was made, the UK government announced a new Food Strategy for England in July 2025. This was created through consultation with various affected groups. It focuses on improving food health, sustainability, resilience and security. It does not include a focus on reducing food bank use directly. While it includes information on outcomes, it does not include more precise indicators or other metrics to measure progress, time-bound targets or assessment processes. It notes that the next step for implementing the strategy will include more detailed delivery plans.

Assessment up to date as of June 2026.

The CRPD recommendation was made in October 2017, the CEDAW recommendation was made in March 2019 and the ICESCR recommendation was made in March 2025.

Since the recommendations were made, the UK government has produced individual impact assessments of certain austerity policies and programmes. However, it has not carried out a comprehensive assessment of the cumulative impact of austerity measures, introduced since 2010, on economic, social and cultural rights. This includes the impact on disadvantaged and marginalised groups, such as women and disabled people.

In December 2022, the UK government issued a response to the follow-up report of a CRPD inquiry. The UK government asserted that considering the equality impacts of individual policies under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), as established by section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, is sufficient for assessing impact. In March 2018, the EHRC, a statutory body independent of the UK government, published its own cumulative impact assessment of the welfare reform and welfare-to-work programmes introduced in England, Scotland and Wales from 2010 to 2015.

Assessment up to date as of June 2026.

The UK government has not reversed the cuts to social security benefits introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

Since this recommendation was made, the UK government has not reviewed the entitlement conditions introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 overall. Some of the entitlement conditions were considered as part of the consultation on the Health and Disability White Paper in 2021, but no changes were made.

Assessment up to date as of December 2024.

In 2023, the UK government ran the Work Capability Assessment: Activities and Descriptors Consultation on proposed changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which is part of the conditionality regime. The proposed changes are set out in the Health and Disability White Paper. WCA is used to assess claimants’ ability to work and the amount they will receive from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or the additional health-related amount they will receive from Universal Credit (UC).

According to the Consultation outcome document, the Department for Work and Pensions held six face-to-face public events in Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff and London and eight virtual public events. Disabled people’s organisations were invited to these events. The consultation received responses from disabled people’s organisations. No changes have yet been introduced.

The EHRC suspects that, and is currently investigating whether, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions or his employees or agents may have failed to anticipate and make reasonable adjustments for disabled people with a mental impairment during health assessment determinations for the following assessments and benefits:

• Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC)
• PIP Assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Assessment up to date as of December 2024.

Since the recommendation was made in June 2023, the UK government has not assessed the impact of welfare changes on children with disabilities and their families. For more information, read the analysis in the 2023 UK Independent Mechanism Report.

The primary school social security benefit paid to households with a disabled child is Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The UK government increased DLA in April 2024.

Assessment up to date as of December 2024.

Asylum support payments were at £36.95 per week when this recommendation was made in July 2016 and have increased to £49.18 per week in 2024 through the The Asylum Support (Amendment) Regulations 2023. This is marginally above inflation over the same period, as shown by the Bank of England Inflation Calculator. Mothers and young children are allocated extra money to buy food. In 2023, this allowance was extended to cover children up to 4 years old after previously being available to cover children up to 3 years old. The one-off maternity payment was increased from £250 to £300 in 2023.

Allowance amounts decrease if accommodation also provides meals. In January 2024, allowance for those in accommodation that supplies meals was lowered from £9.58 to £8.86 per week.

Other types of support for asylum seekers are set out in government guidance, and may include:

• access to the National Health Service and state schools
• access to free school meals for asylum-seeking children
• various types of accommodation, including flats, houses, hostels, hotels or bed and breakfasts, though they do not have to stay in their housing allocation
• ability to apply for short-term housing and support for asylum seekers whose claims are rejected

Assessment up to date as of December 2024.