Researchers from the charity used economic modelling to calculate that £12bn in public money is spent every year on countering the consequences of child poverty, with about 60 per cent of that figure going on social services or on combating crime, anti-social behaviour and low educational attainment.
They also estimated that, because adults who grow up in deprived households are more likely to be unemployed or in low-paid jobs, a further £2bn per year is being paid out in benefits to adults who grew up in poverty.
The study calculates that the annual cost of below-average employment rates and earning levels among adults who grew up in poverty is about £13bn, of which £5bn represents extra benefit payments and lower tax revenues, and the remaining £8bn is lost earnings to individuals.
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