Young Children Living in Deprived Areas More Likely to Experience Tooth Decay and Obesity: UNICEF

The charity found that nearly a quarter of reception-age children in deprived areas are overweight, and 29 percent of 5-year-olds have late-stage tooth decay.

File photo of pupils eating school dinners in the UK. Chris Radburn/PA Wire

Young children living in poverty are more likely to be obese, have severe tooth decay, and visit A&E than children living in the least deprived areas, according to analysis from the UK Committee for UNICEF.

The report by the children’s charity published on Monday also said that children in poverty were less likely to reach a “good level of development” in school reception class, when pupils are around 4 or 5 years old.

The charity analysed data from local authorities in England and found that every one which was in the top 20 percent in terms of deprivation was in the bottom 20 percent for multiple indicators of child health and development.

“In the first five years of life, the effects of deprivation and poverty are not only clearly visible, they are already well established and likely to impact that child for the rest of their life,” UNICEF said.

24 Percent Overweight or Obese

UNICEF found that nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of reception-age children in deprived areas are overweight or obese, with obesity levels more than twice that of children in the most affluent areas (12.9 percent compared to 6 percent).

The report found that across the whole of England, 22 percent of five-year-olds have late-stage, untreated tooth decay. But this proportion rises to 29 percent in the most deprived areas—twice that for children in the least deprived (15 percent).

Attendance at emergency rooms was 55 percent higher for babies and young children in deprived areas than those in the least deprived, with an average of 1,020 A&E visits per 1,000 young children compared to 658, respectively.

School children playing during a break at a primary school in Yorkshire, England, on Nov. 27, 2019. Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Philip Goodwin, CEO of UNICEF UK, said in a statement: “The consequences of poverty can last a lifetime and are especially harmful for babies and young children. Growing up in poverty damages children’s life chances and our analysis shows the scale of the problem across the country.

“It is not acceptable that children in deprived areas are more likely to be behind at school, to be overweight or obese, to experience tooth decay and pain, and more likely to attend A&E – all before their fifth birthday.”

He added, “The government must act urgently to lift the two-child limit and the benefit cap and commit to investing in the vital health and education services that support children during their crucial early years.”

2-Child Cap

The two-child limit was introduced in 2017 and restricts means-tested child tax credit or universal credit to the first two children in most families.

Access to child benefit—which is not means tested—remains uncapped, with parents able to claim for child tax credit/universal credit and child benefit at the same time.

A number of organisations have called for the lifting of the cap, including the Child Poverty Action Group. Last month, the group published a report which found that one in six of all secondary school pupils have said they have missed class because they lacked money for food, transport, or trips.

The government recently said that it was working to tackle child poverty with schemes including free breakfast clubs in every primary school and investing over £3 billion in Pupil Premium.

When pressed on the two-child cap last week during Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “absolutely determined” to “drive down child poverty.”

The government has recently indicated that it has not ruled out ending the two-child cap in its plans to tackle child poverty.

Winter Fuel Payments

On Monday, the government also announced a reversal of its policy on winter fuel payments.

The allowance to help pensioners with their energy bills had been universal, but became means tested under the new Labour government in a bid to balance what it called the “£22 billion black hole” left by the previous Conservative administration.

This meant that the number of seniors receiving the payment—worth up to £300 a year—was reduced from around 11.4 million to 1.5 million in winter 2024/25.

Now, the payment will be available to around 9 million pensioners this coming winter, with anyone on an income of less than £35,000 a year receiving it automatically.

A an elderly woman sitting at home with her electric fire on in Liverpool, England, on Nov. 19. 2014. Peter Byrne/PA

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said limiting winter fuel payments “was a tough decision but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government.”

She continued: “It is also right that we continue to means test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest.

“But we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the winter fuel payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out.

“This will mean over three-quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.”