Britain's poorest children : severe and persistent poverty and social exclusion

Although there is a great deal of information about child poverty in Britain, very little is known about the extent of severe child poverty or about the children who are affected.

As a result, it is not known whether different policy measures are required to move these children out of poverty. "Britain's Poorest Children" is a study conducted in Britain on severe and persistent child poverty and social exclusion.

Drawing on the Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey of Britain, the first part of this report looks beyond one-dimensional income-based definitions of poverty, to take into account material deprivation experienced by poor children and their parents.

It also examines the relationship between severe child poverty and various dimensions of social exclusion experienced by children and parents (social activities, local services, education, housing, neighbourhood, financial services, well-being).

The second part of the report uses data from the British Household Panel Survey to track children's experiences of poverty over a number of years, in particular to analyse the persistence of severe poverty for children. Part 3 pulls together the findings, outlines the main policy implications and seeks to provide some answers to the question, "where next for research and policy for Britain's poorest children?" "Britain's Poorest Children" was commissioned by Save the Children and carried out by the Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University.