The experience of poverty has a pervasive impact on the health (including mental health) of children and their parent(s), on family functioning and on the life course of children. The aim of this paper is to consider the relevance of poverty to our understanding of the health (and mental health) of children with intellectual disabilities in the world's richer countries. It is suggested that poverty is of considerable relevance to this area as: (1) young people with intellectual disabilities are at greater risk than their non-disabled peers of experiencing poverty; (2) the experience of poverty is likely to be associated with poor parental health and well-being and consequently poorer parenting practices; and (3) the experience of poverty is likely to be associated with poor child health and well-being. Implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed.