Press release: OPFS response to UK Child Poverty Strategy

08/12/2025

News

Satwat Rehman, OPFS Chief Executive at One Parent Families Scotland said:

“Last week the UK Government published their child poverty strategy. We warmly welcome this important step towards prioritising and tackling the devastating impact of child poverty.

“At One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) we know that families are feeling overlooked and ignored by politicians, let down by a system that is stacked against us. Too many of us don’t have enough to cover life’s essentials and feel frightened of what the future holds. Too many of us are struggling to pay our bills, heat our homes or even buy enough to eat.

“The child poverty strategy is a step in the right direction towards rebuilding trust through action on the things that matter most to people in the UK. It is starting point in delivering change for families on a low income.

“We are pleased to see child maintenance reform included in the strategy. The commitment to abolish Direct Pay and move all cases through a single Child Maintenance Service is a welcome step that should help more children finally receive the support they are owed. But it only scratches the surface. Too many children are still growing up without the financial security they need, and these changes alone will not fix a system that has long failed families.

“Our Better for Everyone: a new vision for child maintenance report sets out the major structural reforms that families need – reforms that are missing from this plan, such as:

• a universal and accessible payment platform for all separated families

• a fair and up-to-date calculation formula

• the complete removal of fees, so no parent is charged for accessing the support their children are entitled to

• stronger enforcement and safeguarding measures to ensure payments are reliable and safe

• dedicated, holistic support beyond the CMS for parents navigating separation and financial arrangements

“Without these deeper reforms, the system will continue to leave many children behind.

“The Transforming Child Maintenance partnership has set out a clear, ambitious path, and children deserve nothing less. We stand ready to work with the UK Government to deliver the fundamental reforms that are needed.

“Alongside this, we are pleased to see the previously announced scrapping of the two-child limit included in the plan – bringing an end to a discriminatory policy that has pushed children in larger families into poverty since 2017.

“It is time for our politicians to invest in a better future for our families and children. The Strategy is a welcome step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough, leaving too many families still struggling to afford the essentials. We can and must do better.”