- 1 in 7 families shared beds this winter as they couldn’t afford another for children- Charity supporting children sleeping on floors and sharing soiled beds- Half of parents worry about not being able to keep the house warm for their children
Nearly one in three parents (30%) are worried about being made homeless, and almost half (49%) worry about keeping their home warm for their children, according to new research published by children’s charity Barnardo’s which reveals the latest impacts for families that are struggling financially.
More than one in seven (16%) parents say their children have had to share a bed with them, their partner or a sibling during the winter months, because they cannot afford another bed. Worryingly, one in 14 parents (7%) say they are still having to share beds right now.
The YouGov poll of 1,010 GB parents of children aged 18 or under also revealed that half (49%) worry about their children missing out on experiencing a normal childhood due to them having to make cost-of-living cutbacks.
Nearly one in four (23%) have recently struggled to provide sufficient food for their children due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Barnardo’s, the UK’s largest children’s charity, is deeply concerned about the impact of poverty on the children it supports. The charity is publishing a new report today, A Crisis On Our Doorstep, which reveals how the cost-of-living crisis has affected some of the children, families and young people using Barnardo’s services across the UK during winter 2022/23.
The charity has supported families where children were sleeping on cushions on floors, parents were having to limit the number of their children’s baths and turn the heating off, and parents resorting to forgoing proper meals and eating their children’s leftovers instead. This is despite the families saying they have received cost-of-living payments, warm home discount and cold winter payments.
Some families have not been able to afford increased housing costs, and have been forced to seek emergency temporary accommodation through their local authority.
These include mother-of-two Sarah, 37, from Birmingham, currently in temporary accommodation, was recently struggling in private rented accommodation: Sarah said: “It was very hard with the prices rises and everything. In November, we were going with no heating so we could cook. I was in tears. What do you do? Put the heating on or feed the kids? I bought electrical stuff and socks and blankets and jumpers because we were always cold.”
One emerging issue is about families who cannot provide a bed for their children to sleep in or have been unable to afford replacing beds that are broken, or bedding to keep children warm.
Examples include:
- A Barnardo’s project worker at Inverclyde said:
“Children of different ages and genders can be sharing a bedroom – that’s not uncommon. Often, you’ll find that parents will give up their bedrooms, they’re sleeping on the couch for a number of months, maybe even a few years to ensure that their children have their own bedrooms.”
- One mother in the South East of England said:
“We now have to plan ahead for new or replacement items in the home. My daughter started her periods very young. She has been fragile and shy on this subject. She was unable to verbalise that the mattress on the bunk beds she shares with her brother have been stained. I tried to scrub them as best I can, but they are permanently soiled.” The mum could not afford new bedding, so Barnardo’s has since supplied a new mattress and mattress protector.
Since October 2022, Barnardo’s has been providing immediate support to struggling families in our services. As of 7 February 2023, this support reached 8,795 people, including 4,992 children and 2,141 families. The overwhelming proportion of support – 68% - is to help prevent hunger.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Lynn Perry MBE said:
“Across the UK, Barnardo’s is supporting children who are slipping into poverty as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Families who once had to choose between heating or eating are now worried about providing warm beds for their children or losing their homes altogether.
“As a charity we have responded by delivering clothes, appliances and vouchers to help thousands of families with everyday essentials. But we know this urgent support can only do so much.
“Children and young people were hit hard during the pandemic and many are now missing out on the basics. The Government has a key opportunity with the Spring Statement next week to step in and support families who are struggling – starting with the introduction of extending free school meals in primary schools, so that every young child has at least one hot and healthy meal.”
Barnardo’s is calling on the Government to:
- Extend free school meals to all primary school children in England. As a minimum first step extend provision to all children in families in receipt of Universal Credit.
- Strengthen social security. This should include a review of Universal Credit to ensure it is linked permanently to inflation and that the reduced payment level for under 25s is removed; reintroducing the £20 Universal Credit uplift; reversing the two-child limit and reversing the benefit cap.
- Implement a total ban on forced prepayment meter installations until new protections are introduced that ensure households cannot be disconnected.