Borough by borough figures showing the number of children in north London living in poverty have been revealed.

And the chief executive of a child poverty charity has urged the Government to scrap the two-child limit for benefits as figures show almost 100,000 children from north London are living in poverty.

The chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) warned that unless the limit is abolished, “more children in London will be hungry and cut off from the joys of childhood”.

Across north London, Department for Work and Pensions data shows 93,358 children aged 0 to 15 years were living in households earning below 60% median income before housing costs.

But research conducted by Loughborough University for CPAG estimates that this number would almost double – to 178,522 children – if housing costs are taken into account.

Under both measures, Brent is the north London borough with the most children living in poverty. A total of 15,094 were recorded in government data, increasing to 28,278 when housing costs are considered.

As a percentage of its population, Hackney was the worst performing borough in north London. Almost half (43.4%) of the borough’s children were estimated to live in poverty after housing costs, and 23.4% before housing costs.

Alison Garnham, CPAG CEO, said: “Child poverty is the ugly side of London. 

“A third of the city’s children don’t have what they need to thrive  - and that number will rise if Government continues to turn a blind eye to the fact that families don’t have enough to live on.  

“Abolishing the two-child limit and benefit cap, increasing child benefit and extending free school meals are the critical actions needed. 

“Without them, more children in London will be hungry and cut off from the joys of childhood.”

In March 2023, CPAG and other campaign groups penned an open letter to the government calling for child benefit to rise by £20 a week and the expansion of free school meals to tackle poverty.

At the time, a Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting families with children, which is why we increased both child benefit and child tax credits in line with inflation this year and made changes to Universal Credit so that working families can keep more of what they earn.

“Since 2010 the number of children receiving a free meal at school has increased by more than two million, thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals plus generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to universal credit.”

The government figures for number of children in low income families before housing costs followed by estimates for after housing costs are listed below, with percentage of population in brackets:

Barnet – 11,997 (12.2%) and 24,365 (24.8%)

Brent – 15,094 (18.5%) and 28,278 (35.6%)

Camden – 8,241 (19.8%) and 16,066 (39.6%)

Enfield – 14,369 (15.6%) and 27,716 (30.9%)

Hackney – 14,860 (23.4%) and 26,816 (43.4%)

Haringey – 11,341 (18%) and 21,538 (35.1%)

Harrow – 9,816 (15.4%) and 18,981 (30.6%)

Islington – 7,640 (18.5%) and 14,942 (37.2%)