North East fifth-highest poverty rate in the UK
600,000 people are living in poverty in the North East according to a new report
Poverty figures for the North East has been published as part of Joseph Rowntree Foundation's (JRF) Poverty 2025 report.
The North East of England had the fifth-highest poverty rate by region in the UK, at 21%, with about 600,000 people living in poverty.
Child poverty rates across the region currently sit at 33.9%, or just over 1 in 3 children on average. Under central OBR projections for growth, our modelling shows this figure would remain broadly the same until the end of this parliament in 2029.
In the North East, the constituencies with the highest levels of child poverty were in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East (43%), South Shields (36%), Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (35%), and Redcar (34%).
JRF says the UK government won’t see progress on child poverty by the end of this Parliament – even with high economic growth – if investment in social security does not form a part of its child poverty strategy.
JRF is also cautioning that children mustn’t pay the price for the ups and downs in the economy. Any cuts to welfare spending are very likely to pull more families into poverty, as our social security system is already out of step with the costs families are facing.
The leading annual barometer of poverty from the JRF finds that in the UK:
• 4.3 million children are currently living in poverty
• Child poverty rates are already much higher in England (30%) and Wales (29%) compared to Scotland (24%) and Northern Ireland (23%).
As the Joseph Rowntree Foundation publishes its annual UK Poverty report, new analysis shows that under central OBR projections, only Scotland will see child poverty rates fall by 2029, demonstrating the power of social security policy in tackling poverty.
JRF says the UK Government's child poverty strategy must abolish the two-child limit and introduce a protected minimum amount of support to Universal Credit.
Paul Kissack, Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, says:
“Growing levels of poverty and insecurity are acting as a tightening brake on growth and opportunity. We can’t expect children to be ready for school or able to learn if they’re going without the basics. Growing up in poverty can also lead to poor health, increasing pressure on the NHS. 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. The good news is that change – meaningful change to people’s lives – is possible and can be achieved quickly. We know this from our recent history, and from different approaches across the UK.
“The British public believes that everyone should be able to afford the essentials. With its child poverty strategy later this year the Government has the opportunity to show it agrees. Any credible child poverty strategy must include policies that rebuild the tattered social security system. The wellbeing of millions of children depends on that. And so do the Government’s wider ambitions for improved living standards and opportunity.”
Responding to the findings of UK Poverty 2025, Chair of the North East Child Poverty Commission – Beth Farhat – said:
"As this important new analysis makes clear, economic growth and job creation – whilst vital – will not, on their own, be enough to make a dent in unacceptably high rates of child poverty here in the North East. Indeed, we know the hardship being experienced by so many families – both in and out of work – is itself acting as one of the single biggest barriers to growth and opportunity our local communities face.
"The Government has made a welcome commitment to deliver an ambitious and bold child poverty strategy this spring, and I urge them to take the findings of this report squarely on board as they develop their long-awaited proposals.
"Whilst there is real, cross-sector determination across our region to do what it takes to tackle child poverty, that has to be underpinned by meaningful national action if we are to have a chance of shifting the dial on this issue with the urgency it requires.
"This must include investment in our social security safety net – including scrapping the cruel two-child limit – to ensure that children in all families are given the opportunity to thrive and reach their potential."
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, while our Plan for Change will raise living standards across the country.
"As we fix the foundations of the economy, we're increasing the Living Wage, uprating benefits and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families with children by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions to help low-income families and make everyone better off."
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