2025 Clothing Poverty Timeline

2025 saw many developments around the issue of clothing poverty. While it is difficult to gauge the effect of these developments, given that their implementation is in its infancy, it is vital to consider how steps are being taken to address the material needs of those experiencing clothing poverty.

January

The London Council of Tower Hamlets offers a universal school uniform payment, the first scheme of its kind. Households with an income of less than £50,350 will receive up to £150 for school uniform per child [1], with the intent to help families manage the upfront costs of required school clothing ahead of the academic year.

February

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2025 Report [2] is published, highlighting the extent of deepening poverty in the UK and its impact on children and families.

The Little Village, the biggest network of baby banks in London, calls for immediate action [3] against the urgent affordability crisis causing debilitating parental sacrifices, as a result of policies such as the two-child limit and benefit cap. 

March

The ‘International Day of Zero Waste’ (30 March) is a United Nations-observed day, established in 2022 to promote sustainable production and consumption [4].

The 2025 theme focused on working “Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles" by urging action from consumers, businesses, and policymakers globally to reduce textile waste and promote circularity [5].

April

April 2025 marked a significant policy moment on clothing affordability, as the UK Government announced plans to cap the number of branded school uniform items schools can require, aiming to reduce costs for families as part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill [6].

May

The Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) Report, Accelerating the UK towards a Circular Fashion Ecosystem [7], provided an industry-led assessment of how the UK fashion sector could transition away from a linear ‘take-make-waste' model. 

A proposed National Textile Recycling Infrastructure Plan [8] responded to the estimated 1.3 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles generated annually in the UK. A proposed national recycling hub could require £277 million in investment and could generate hundreds of new jobs. The report also outlines a detailed, industry-supported framework for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles. 

June

June marked the UK’s Clothing Poverty Awareness Week. Campaign messaging [9] for 2025 highlighted that:

• An estimated 5.5 million adults (13%) cannot afford the clothes they need for everyday life, including for work and school. 

• The UK continues to send around 300,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill each year. 

July

July marked the first anniversary of Fordingbridge Wardrobe [10], a free clothing initiative run by The Salvation Army, reflecting the growing role of local, community-based responses to clothing poverty. 

Sol Escobar, founder and co-CEO of Give Your Best, was awarded the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize [11]. Give Your Best is an innovative social enterprise which uses a circular platform to redistribute high-quality surplus clothing to those in need [12].

‘The Consumption Economy: Finding Value in Our Clothing’ [13] a research paper for the 6th PLATE 2025 Conference, highlighted that more than 25% of clothing in the UK remain unworn, with garments having an average lifespan of just 3.3 years.

August

Clothing Coventry, a charity dedicated to addressing clothing poverty in Coventry, opened a summer pop-up shop to support more than 1000 students with free school uniforms ahead of September [14].

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) found that [15] almost half (47%) of young people (aged 11-18) who missed school cited the reason as a lack of correct uniform or kit, with a sharp rise among pupils eligible for free school meals. CPAG also found that children from low-income households are more likely to be sent home, sanctioned or excluded from lessons due to incorrect or missing uniform.

September

September featured the UK’s Zero Waste Week (1-7 September) [16], a nationwide campaign encouraging households, schools and businesses to reduce waste and adopt sustainable habits. This year’s edition emphasised clothing-specific actions [17] such as mending, swapping, and extending garment lifespans, which directly speaks to the cost of overproduction and textile waste. The focus on circular clothing mirrors the US’ National Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day (15 September) [18], which draws attention to millions living without adequate clothing despite excess global supply. 

On the 9th of September the European Parliament formally adopted new rules [19] which require producers to pay for the collection, sorting and recycling of textile waste. EU member states will have up to 30 months to implement their EPR schemes, with textile EPR systems expected to be operational by 2028 [20].

October

October marked the 10th anniversary of Human Appeal’s national Wrap Up campaign, running from 6 October to 3 November. In its milestone year, Wrap Up set out its biggest campaign yet, aiming to collect 10,000 coats and 30,000 winter clothing items in cities such as Glasgow, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham, the Black Country, Luton and London [21].

Efforts during Challenge Poverty Week 2025 (13-19 October) also included warm clothing donation drives in local areas such as Dumfries and Galloway [22].

November

Research from Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE) UK’s Falling Below Minimum Standards [23 framework has shown that impoverished households will struggle to keep warm in cold weather. 

New research by Barnardo’s [24], based on a YouGov poll and Office for National Statistics data, found that:

• Around 1 in 7 parents (15%) will struggle to afford a coat or sufficient winter clothing to keep their child warm. 

• Up to 300,000 children will face the coldest months without a winter coat, exposing them to health risks, social exclusion, and additional barriers to participation in school and daily life. 

December

The government’s long-awaited Child Poverty Strategy is published, a landmark intervention aiming to lift 500,000 – 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030 [25]. The strategy focuses on three core pillars: increasing family incomes, reducing essential household costs, and strengthening early-years and local support [26].

While clothing is referenced within the strategy, it remains largely implicit rather than explicitly protected as a basic right or guaranteed provision. 

The House of Commons Library research, Poverty in the UK: Statistics [27], offered a clear  overview of material deprivation and its impact on clothing access. Drawing on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) measures for 2023/24, the briefing reinforces that clothing poverty remains a persistent and structural feature in the UK. 

Closing Statement

2025 told a clear story: clothing poverty is no longer a hidden or marginal issue. It intersects with education, health, employment, dignity, survival, and is shaped by policy choices as much as charitable action. 

The introduction of a national Child Poverty Strategy offers a critical opportunity for change, but one that will only succeed if clothing is treated as essential and foundational, not as an optional extra. 

As the UK looks ahead, the question remains: will future poverty reduction efforts finally recognise access to adequate clothing as a national responsibility?

References:

1. The Guardian (2025). London council aims to become first in England to offer universal school uniform payment.

2. JRF: Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2025). UK Poverty 2025: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK.

3. Little Village (2025). Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2025 Report.

4. UNEP: UN environment programme (2025). Press Release: Unsustainable fashion and textiles in focus for International Day of Zero Waste 2025.

5. UNEP: UN environment programme (2025). International Day of Zero Waste 2025.

6. GOV.UK: Department for Education (2025). Press release: Millions of families to benefit from lower school uniform costs.

7. Circular Fashion Innovation Network (2025). CFIN May 2025 Report: Accelerating towards a circular fashion ecosystem in the UK.

8. UKFT: UK Fashion and Textile Association (2025). CFIN Report 2025: Accelerating the UK towards a Circular Fashion Ecosystem.

9. Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers (2025). UK Clothing Poverty Awareness Week.

10. The Salvation Army (2025). Salvation Army’s free wardrobe clothes Fordingbridge for a Year!

11. Cambridge Network (2025). From tackling clothing poverty to empowering the disabled - Championing UK social innovators with the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize.

12. Give Your Best (2025).

13. 6th PLATE 2025 Conference (2025). Research Paper: The Consumption Economy – Finding Value in Our Clothing.

14. Coventry Observer (2025). Free school uniforms on offer to struggling families in Coventry.

15. CPAG: Child Poverty Action Group (2025). Priced out of school: how lack of money prevents young people from attending school.

16. Zero Waste Week (2025).

17. Zero Waste Week (2025). Zero Waste Week 2025 – Ideas for Taking Part.

18. Crisis Assistance Ministry (2025). National Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day Sheds Light on a Hidden Crisis.

19. European Parliament Press Service (2025). Press release: Parliament adopts new EU rules to reduce textile and food waste.

20. UKFT: UK Fashion and Textile Association (2025). EU adopts and publishes the Revised Waste Framework Directive (Textiles EPR).

21. Human Appeal (2025). Human Appeal marks 10th anniversary with biggest Wrap Up ever.

22. Dumfries and Galloway Council (2025). Challenge Poverty Week 2025: Donate Warm Winter Clothes to Help Those in Need.

23. PSE: Poverty and Social Exclusion (2012). Research: Falling below minimum standards.

24. Barnardo’s (2025). Parents struggle to afford warm coats or clothing for their children this winter.

25. GOV.UK (2025). Press release: Over half a million children to be lifted out of poverty as government unveils historic child poverty strategy.

26. HM Government (2025). Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty.

27. House of Commons Library (2025). Poverty in the UK: Statistics.