No child should grow up in poverty, but right now, more than one in four children in the UK are. Here we share experiences of some of the children, young people and families we've been supporting in our services.
Learn about the experience of Emily, a young carer who has struggled because of the cost-of-living crisis
My mum’s benefits payment was delayed, which meant she couldn’t afford for me to go on a day trip during the school holidays. The bus fare was £2.20, but when you’re struggling to make ends meet, saving every penny is important. If it hadn’t been for Barnardo’s, I wouldn’t have been able to go on the trip.
Emily
A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who helps to care for a family member, relative or friend. They might be supporting someone who has a disability, a long-term illness, or a problem with alcohol or drugs. Young people with caring responsibilities have all the challenges of being young, with all the responsibilities of being an adult, and, without the right support, they're left to face these alone.
Emily was referred to Barnardo’s by her school back in 2020, when she was 13 years old. Her mum has epilepsy and is unable to work. Families where someone has a disability are more likely to experience poverty (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2020) and Emily and her mum found themselves struggling last winter.
Becky, a trainee beauty therapist and mum of two young children, needed help to keep her children warm over the winter
Becky is a 31-year-old mum of two young children in professional training to become a beauty therapist through Barnardo’s Byker Sands Family Centre Sure Start in North Tyneside.
While Becky is working towards getting her qualifications, the spiralling costs of everyday essentials has put even more pressure on her and her family, as well as other families in her local community.
Where I live, what most people talk about is the energy prices, because for most people they went up, for example, it was £30 a week for their heating and now they pay like £60 and £70. There's a lot of kids that come home and they cannot have warm meals all the time and I see it all around my neighbourhood.
Becky
For Becky, the cost-of-living crisis has made it very difficult to buy groceries and clothing for her children. Through our services at Barnardo’s, she’s received food and clothing vouchers so she can still get what she needs to keep her family healthy and warm through the winter.
Learn about how the cost-of-living crisis is making life harder for young people adjusting to life after leaving the care system
Young people leaving care often experience financial difficulties when they move out of the care system. The sharp rise in the cost of living has made this situation worse as young people without the financial cushion of ‘the bank of mum and dad’ attempt to manage their money and avoid debt. In October 2023 we published a report looking at the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on young people as they leave care and how Government and the financial services sector could better support this group.
If you’re a young person without parents to help you it can be very difficult. You face challenges like loneliness and not having enough money to see your friends. Even basic items can be too expensive.
Paul
Paul grew up in care in Scotland and had multiple foster care placements throughout his childhood. He now lives in one of our Gap Homes, a project that provides high-quality, affordable housing that’s suitable for young people as they leave the care system.
With the price of food being so high, food banks are becoming more and more common but there’s still a lot of harmful stigma around who really ‘deserves’ that support.
Tiffany
Tiffany, 24, is a project worker at our Triangles programme where she supports young people who have grown up in care to build a support network and create positive change for themselves and other young people with experience of the care system. As a care-experienced young person herself, she told us how the cost-of-living crisis has made life even harder for young people leaving care.
