Youngsters in struggling families were hit hardest by pandemic, UK inquiry hears

Inequalities and political apathy created a ‘perfect storm’ of challenges for British children when the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, the official inquiry has heard.

High levels of child poverty meant that many families were already struggling when Covid hit, and continue to struggle today because of rising living costs.

The official United Kingdom Covid-19 inquiry, which began in July 2023, has been hearing preliminary evidence from a range of stakeholders on behalf of children and young people.

The Children’s Rights Organisations (CROs) is a group of five charities – Centre for Young Lives, the Child Poverty Action Group, Save the Children UK, Just for Kids Law and the Children’s Rights Alliance for England – chosen to provide expert evidence to the inquiry on child rights, inequalities and discrimination.

Chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, the inquiry was told that the government must invest to ‘clear the long shadow’ that the pandemic has cast over the lives and life chances of a generation of youngsters.

The charities also want changes to the law in order to incorporate children’s rights in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to fill the gap in the Equality Act that allows public bodies and service providers to discriminate against children on the grounds of age.

This latest round of evidence has been presented during a preliminary hearing for the eighth session – or Module 8 – of the inquiry. More detailed public hearings relating to children and young people will take place in the autumn of 2025. The full inquiry is likely to last until at least 2027.

‘Children were not given adequate protection’

Steve Broach KC, a barrister representing the CROs, said: “The lack of focus on the rights and interests of children during the pandemic was systemic. This was not an unfortunate oversight for which particular individuals bore responsibility. It resulted from a failure to embed the rights and interests of children in the centre of the machinery of government.

“Certain groups suffered worst. Babies, whose parents who lost the support of health visitors… children and young people from Black and racialised communities… and looked after children; and children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.”

Anne Longfield, former Children’s Commissioner for England and Executive Chair and founder of Centre for Young Lives, said:  “Children were not given adequate protection during the Covid 19 pandemic and were often overlooked when important decisions were made.

“The consequences for many of the Covid generation of children are devastating, with an unprecedented rise in anxiety and poor mental health, huge losses in learning and poorer job and life chances as a result.  Those children who were already vulnerable before the pandemic have been hit the hardest.

“As Children’s Commissioner for England during the pandemic – a statutory role – my warnings were dismissed by the government.  Children need additional protection in law to ensure they can never be overlooked in this way in any future emergencies.

“We owe it to this generation of children to help them recover from the mistakes our Government made at the time.”