In June this year the Government announced that Frank Field MP had been appointed to lead an independent review into poverty and life chances. The main aims of the Review are to:
- Explore how a child’s home environment affects their chances of being ready to take full advantage of their schooling
- Generate a broader debate about the nature and extent of poverty in the UK
- Recommend potential action by government and other institutions to reduce poverty and enhance life chances for the least advantaged, consistent with the Government’s fiscal strategy
- Examine the case for reforms to the poverty measures, in particular for the inclusion of non-financial elements.
Over the coming months the Review team will be consulting with a range of lobby groups, poverty experts, delivery organisations, charities, parents and children. The Review will also consider existing evidence on poverty and the factors in childhood that have the biggest impact on future outcomes. The Review is due to report its findings to the Prime Minister at the end of the year.
