Evidence Hub

Exploring the views of primary school children on their needs, Government support for families, and Universal Credit.

Quick-read summary

Children’s life chances are heavily dependent on family resources. In Britain, social security for low-income families with children is provided through Universal Credit. However, Universal Credit is criticised for inadequate payments and design features which impact children’s rights to provision, protection and participation as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Children’s voices are noticeably absent from academic studies and policy documents on Universal Credit, which focus instead on the views, experiences and behaviours of adults. This research is different as it reports findings from a pilot study that used creative methods to explore the views of primary school aged children on their needs, Government support for families, and Universal Credit.

33 children aged 6 to 11 years took part in the study. They offered reasoned and eloquent accounts of their needs and the impacts of not having them met, and held views on issues of poverty, homelessness, welfare, inequality, and injustice which they articulated clearly.

The findings have led to the development of recommendations for policy makers.

Who is this evidence useful for?

Practitioners, policy makers, and anyone who wants to understand the impacts of poverty on children.

What is the issue?

Children’s life chances are heavily dependent on family resources. Studies consistently show that disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances represent a significant risk within children for developing poor physical and mental health which extends into adulthood and leads to reduced life opportunities and a higher risk of mortality in early adulthood.

Universal Credit is a social security payment to unemployed and low-income adults which includes an additional element for children.

It is criticised for inadequate payments for out-of-work claimants, and design features such as the benefit cap, five-week wait for first payment, conditionality, and sanctions. These features cause financial hardship for the most economically fragile families and contribute to child poverty.

Research summary

This was a collaborative study led by Children North East with support from NIHR NENC ARC researchers from the universities of Cumbria, Newcastle and Northumbria.

We used qualitative, creative methods as we hoped these would enable children to express their views. A collection of activities for use with children of different ages were developed including draw/play/write and talk activities; image recognition activities; scenario activities; and discussion activities.

Data collection was undertaken over three sessions with six groups of children in three primary schools in North East England. We worked with friendship groups of children to ensure the research environment felt safe and familiar.

What the research found

The creative methods we used supported children’s participation, and enabled them to share their views on a range of topics in a safe and enjoyable way.

Children aged 6-10 years

• This group identified what they needed for a good life. These included what might be conceptualised as basic needs, such as healthy food, clean air and water, clothing, shelter and sleep. They also said they wanted decent, warm homes in clean neighbourhoods with multiple rooms, furniture and belongings. They wanted clothing that fit and that aligned with their peers, allowing them to fit in (thus reducing the risk of stigma). They also wanted to join in things with others such as exercise, entertainment, leisure and play.
• When asked how they would feel if their needs were not met the children highlighted feelings of unfairness and injustice, anger and frustration, sadness and worry.  They also imagined other impacts such as bullying, social exclusion, and loneliness, as well as negative consequences for their health and wellbeing including poor mental health, physical health and even death.

Children aged 10-11 years

• This group considered Universal Credit.  They participated in a Universal Credit budgeting activity and were shocked at how much they had to forego. They also discussed Universal Credit rules; they were almost unanimous in viewing lower payments for under 25-year-olds as unfair but beyond that, opinions appeared divided by sex, with girls much less in agreement with UC rules than boys.
• Children pointed to individual behaviours which might explain and/or justify a person having less money, such as people who “can’t be bothered” or “waste” money. The potential for people to defraud the system by “faking” poverty was also raised, hence some felt checks were needed to ensure benefit claimants were genuine.
• Children understood that some families live in poverty, and most felt this unfair, especially when children did not have things they needed, and families could not afford to buy food or pay bills. They were aware that things can go wrong for people (e.g. losing employment or experiencing bereavement) which could result in financial hardship. They showed awareness of inequalities in education and wealth and how these might impact people’s chances of getting a good job.
• They believed life to be more difficult for some groups than for others (e.g. disabled people and lone parents) and they recognised the barriers to employment they faced.
• Children made clear that they did not want children to go hungry or to be excluded from activities and possessions due to a lack of money. They were concerned about families unable to meet their needs and perceived a role for government in providing financial support to families.
• They also understood the value of public services in supporting families through education, healthcare and keeping families and the environment safe. They therefore valued the welfare state.

Why is this important?

• We know that Universal Credit is causing child poverty and that this negatively impacts children’s life chances by causing harm to their mental and physical health and wellbeing.
• We also know that the potential impacts on children were not considered in associated equality impact assessments for Universal Credit.
• This research gives some insight into what children would have said had they been asked.
• Children of out-of-work claimants, especially those in larger families, are likely experiencing the anger, frustration, sadness and worry imagined by children in this study as well as negative impacts on their health, mental health, social inclusion and future life chances.

How were people involved in this work?

In planning this study, we consulted with children through ‘Investing in Children’, a children’s rights charity based in County Durham. We also piloted our creative methods at one North East primary school over two days with groups of children aged 5 to 11 years.

What happens next?

Mary Daly (2020) identified three types of social policy regarding children. These are; ‘family orientated’, ‘childhood orientated’ and ‘children orientated’.

Universal Credit is ‘family-oriented’ and based on the idea that support for children is best met by resourcing families. ‘Childhood-oriented’ policies see childhood as a life phase to be resourced through services such as education and children and young people’s services. Daly also identified ‘Children oriented’ policies which have two variants, one perceives children as distinct from adults and grants resources to children (e.g. disability living allowances), the other aligns with UNCRC article 12 by treating children as subjects and aiming to enable their participation in adult institutions.

Research is now needed with children with lived experience of UC so that we can truly understand the impacts on them and their rights to provision, protection and participation.

The work has led to the development of recommendations for policy makers:

• The development of social policies incorporating children should consider the impacts for them. This includes consulting with those children that will be impacted – aligning with UNCRC article 12 ‘Respect for the views of the child’.
• Universal Credit could potentially support children in low-income households if policymakers consider the rights of children as outlined in the UNCRC. They should assess how the various aspects of Universal Credit affect children’s rights and wellbeing to ensure it is equitable, accessible, and supportive of children’s needs.
• Investment in childhood-oriented approaches, such as children and youth services, to support children’s right to development and access to leisure, play and culture (enshrined in UNCRC articles 6, 27 and 31), which could potentially offset some of the negative impacts of financial hardship on children in Universal Credit households.
• Investment in children oriented policies could expand entitlements to counter the financial barriers faced by children in Universal Credit households. Free public transport, for example, or free entry to local facilities such as sport centres and swimming pools would support children’s physical, social and developmental needs and rights to leisure, play and culture (UNCRC articles 27 and 31) – which would have been welcomed by children in this study.

Find out more

Read the full research paper: “People shouldn’t Have to be Worried About Going Broke All the Time.” The Views of Primary School Children on Their Needs, Government Support for Families and Universal Credit in: The International Journal of Children’s Rights Volume 34 Issue 2 (2026)

Contact: Dr Elaine Bidmead, University of Cumbria elaine.bidmead@cumbria.ac.uk