The government's child poverty strategy comes after announced it would scrap the two-child benefit cap in April, expanded free school meals to all children from families receiving Universal Credit, and introduced free breakfast clubs. But it called on ministers to "get children out of temporary accommodation and into permanent homes" by unfreezing housing benefits and building a new generation of social rent homes. The government says the "devastating impact" on children living in temporary accommodation includes damage to physical and mental health, missing school and family disruption. The government has pledged to stop children growing up in B&Bs and to make childcare more accessible for families on Universal Credit as part of its child poverty strategy. Under the government's plans, councils will also have a new legal duty to notify schools, health visitors and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation to provide "a more joined up" approach to supporting them. She also called on the government to "properly fund their free school meals rollout and auto-enrol families on the scheme, so no child slips through the cracks".
The strategy also includes making childcare more accessible for families on Universal Credit. It also plans to build 5,000 homes that can be used as more suitable temporary accommodation by 2030 as part of its upcoming homelessness strategy. The government's measures on housing are "so welcomed", Mr Cassidy said, adding that in his experience, families often try to cope alone when placed in temporary accommodation. Munira Wilson, education spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said the announcement is just "a collection of existing proposals" and called on the government to focus on building council and social rent homes. Other announcements, including on temporary accommodation, were targeted at "much smaller groups of people", the IFS said.

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• So, what makes Norway’s ‘trip chocolate’ so controversial?
• Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza says it is a welcome focus on improving the quality of temporary accommodation, where many children live in “shocking Dickensian conditions”.
• The government’s measures on housing are “so welcomed”, Mr Cassidy said, adding that in his experience, families often try to cope alone when placed in temporary accommodation.
• She also called on the government to “properly fund their free school meals rollout and auto-enrol families on the scheme, so no child slips through the cracks”.
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Homelessness charities welcomed the plans, but called for greater changes to lift people out of poverty. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Oscar-tipped new film Hamnet imagines the home life of William and Agnes Shakespeare – and the "soul-crushing" loss of their child.

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"Even the government's own numbers suggest that this strategy will leave nearly four million children trapped in poverty," she said. On ending the two-child benefit cap, it said it was forecast to account for 450,000 of the children lifted out of poverty by the end of the Parliament, with the remainder attributable to expanding free school meals. It expects to lift around 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030, "the biggest reduction in a single Parliament since records began", with measures including scrapping the two-child benefit cap. The Health Foundation said the strategy marked progress, but "must go further" to deliver a "preventative approach that tackles the deep structural causes of poverty". Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza says it is a welcome focus on improving the quality of temporary accommodation, where many children live in "shocking Dickensian conditions".

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• Donald Trump’s controversial executive order to end birthright citizenship had been rejected by lower courts.
• Other announcements, including on temporary accommodation, were targeted at “much smaller groups of people”, the IFS said.
• Councils are currently only meant to house families with children in B&Bs as a last resort, and for a maximium of six weeks, the law says.
• The government says the “devastating impact” on children living in temporary accommodation includes damage to physical and mental health, missing school and family disruption.
• In England alone, more than 172,000 children are living in temporary accommodation.
• The man allegedly tried to steal the diamond-studded egg named after the James Bond film Octopussy.
• Meanwhile, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said there was “considerable uncertainty over how large a reduction in measured poverty these policies will ultimately deliver, partly due to genuine economic uncertainty”.

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Homelessness charity Shelter agreed with the government that "no child should be growing up in a B&B or mouldy bedsit". Headteacher James Cassidy said he increasingly sees pupils coming into school tired, anxious and stressed He said the "vast majority" of pupils' families were experiencing difficulties with the cost of living and retaining long-term employment.
McGovern said the strategy is about putting a "proper roof over our children's heads". Child poverty levels are currently at a "historic high", the government says, with 4.5 million children – roughly a third – living in relative poverty after housing costs. But figures from April to June 2025, external show that more than 2,000 children had been living in B&Bs for longer than that. Councils are currently only meant to house families with children in B&Bs as a last resort, and for a maximium of six weeks, the law says. In England alone, more than 172,000 children are living in temporary accommodation.

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James Cassidy, headteacher of Eton Park Junior Academy in Burton-upon-Trent, told the BBC that he increasingly sees pupils coming into school tired, anxious and stressed, having a knock-on effect on their concentration and friendships. Meanwhile, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said there was "considerable uncertainty over how large a reduction in measured poverty these policies will ultimately deliver, partly due to genuine economic uncertainty". "If that's still happening by the time I've finished my job, I'll consider myself a failure," she said. To address this, the government plans to end the "unlawful placement" of families in B&Bs beyond six weeks. So, what makes Norway's 'trip chocolate' so controversial? Just in time for the holidays, here are Erin Walsh's top shops in her beloved hometown of NYC.
Somali-Americans tell of their heightened fear after the US president intensified his criticism of the community. The US president hopes that a peace deal will pave the way for greater American investment in the resource-rich region. It has pledged a rule change from next year to extend eligibility for upfront childcare costs to people returning from parental leave, which it said will make it easier for new parents who receive Universal Credit to return to work. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the plans will make a "real difference" but called for "more than just these policies in isolation". Meanwhile, the founder of the Big Issue magazine Lord John Bird said the government's strategy was lacking "ambitious targets".