Even before the pandemic, 4.3 million children were growing up experiencing poverty in the UK.

Whilst attitudes to poverty have slightly increased in sympathy to those in poverty over the last 10 years, support for significant policy interventions such as a more generous welfare system has been broadly amongst more liberally minded, left-leaning voters. The prevailing view amongst the public is the assumption that families make ‘bad choices’, rather than that a lack of money inhibits opportunities for children and families.

To create more support for children and their families we need a powerful new narrative that can help stop the blame game. One that can reduce beliefs that child poverty is simply the fault of the parents and increase the belief that families living in poverty deserve help from the state.

But how do we do that?

We’ll be sharing finding from our new report which explores new narratives on child poverty.

This research developed and tested different messages with key swing voter audiences to see which have the strongest potential to create a change in thinking.

In this webinar we’ll be sharing:

• The ideas that key swing audience’s currently hold on children and families in poverty
• What new narrative and messaging resonates with them and could help create a change in public attitudes
• What happened when we tested a narrative-based, community-led stunt within a red wall seat
• Hear from you on what tools and resources could help you adopt a new narrative

What's new about this research?

This report builds on the research of Joseph Rowntree Foundation on how to talk about poverty, with a specific child poverty focused lens. It explores how new narratives might work in 2021 and beyond, with all the changes the British public have experienced as a result of the COVID pandemic.