
CAP is welcoming plans for more holistic, local support for families, including debt and welfare advice.
The UK Government has announced plans for up to 1,000 family hubs to be rolled out in every local authority by April 2026 to provide wide-ranging help.
Opinium polling data in CAP’s latest briefing paper on Child Poverty shows 35% of parents/carers with children under the age of 5 have debt they are struggling to repay. The charity hopes these new hubs can work in collaboration with local organisations to help more families out of debt and children to live fulfilled lives.
CAP’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Juliette Flach, says, ‘Christians Against Poverty partners with local churches which provide face-to-face help to parents and know how challenging it is for families on low incomes to cope with rising prices alongside the additional costs of bringing up children.
‘Research shows the value of family support hubs. A Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report found they can have a range of long term benefits for children. We are pleased to see the UK Government has listened to our calls for more community based, holistic support for families and these will now be returning to local areas on a greater scale.
“It’s important that these new hubs work together with the existing help offered by charities and organisations and that additional funding for free debt advice and other vital community support is provided to charities to ensure more families can be lifted out of debt and poverty.”
ENDS