The Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has released a report highlighting that some children in England are living in conditions described as "almost Dickensian levels of poverty." The report details severe deprivation including rat infestations, mouldy food, lack of reliable running water, inadequate heating, and insufficient access to basic hygiene. These conditions have led to social isolation and shame among affected children, with some unable to invite friends due to infestations. The report calls for the UK government to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a policy criticized for exacerbating child poverty. Official estimates indicate that nearly one in three children in the UK live in poverty, with approximately 4.5 million children affected. The findings have intensified calls from various groups and politicians to end austerity measures and reform welfare policies to address this entrenched deprivation.