A report led by England's Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has highlighted that children in England are living in conditions described as "almost Dickensian levels of poverty." The findings detail severe deprivation including rat infestations, mouldy food, lack of reliable running water, and inadequate heating and washing facilities. The report underscores that approximately one in three children in the UK live in poverty, with 4.5 million children affected in England alone. Dame Rachel de Souza and other advocates have called for the government to scrap the two-child benefit cap, arguing that it exacerbates child poverty and traps families in hardship. The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, acknowledged that recent government decisions, including the benefit cap, complicate future policy changes. Political figures including Labour MPs and the Child Poverty Action Group have supported calls to end the cap, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive child poverty strategy. The issue has garnered increasing public and political attention amid concerns over the normalization of such deprivation over the last 15 years. Additionally, it was noted that the two-child benefit cap currently affects 1.7 million children, with some government briefings suggesting reluctance to scrap the policy due to budgetary concerns. The report and ensuing debate have intensified pressure on the government to address systemic failures contributing to child poverty in England.