There has been a significant increase in the number of children growing up in poverty in Wales, the latest official figures show. In one area, as many of 55% of young people are growing up below the breadline.
The latest official figures show that there were 179,367 children in Wales living below the breadline in March 2021, before the cost of housing was taken into account. The number has increased from 140,894 in March 2020, despite financial support from the government during the start of the pandemic. With the £20 uplift to Universal Credit gone, living costs rising, and benefits not keeping up, charities have warned the situation is likely to get much worse.
The figures mean that one in four children in Wales was living in poverty last year (26%) - and in some neighbourhoods the situation is even more stark. You can check your local area by using our interactive search tool further down in this article.
