At what cost? The impact of the cost-of-living on children and young people

More than 1 in 4 of all children in the UK now live in poverty, with millions facing the risk of going hungry. Living in poverty can mean a child is living in a cold home, going hungry, or without everyday essentials.  

Children in the most vulnerable and precarious circumstances will be among those most exposed to the cost-of-living crisis. Families with nothing left to cut back on are no longer having to choose between heating or eating – instead they’re unable to afford either.  

Growing up in poverty can harm children’s life chances, limiting their opportunities, holding them back in education, or leading to worse physical and mental health outcomes.

New evidence in Barnardo’s report ‘At what cost? The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on children and young people’ shows that: 

• More than half of parents (54%) have been forced to cut back on food spending for their family over the past 12 months. 

• One in five parents said they have struggled to provide sufficient food due to the current cost-of-living crisis, and over a quarter (26%) said their child’s mental health has worsened due to the situation.   

• Parents have admitted resorting to desperate measures, with a quarter (26%) having sold possessions, one in five (20%) having taken on new credit cards, extra debt or a payday loan, and sixteen respondents have even left pets at rescue centres due to the rising cost-of-living.  

It’s clear that we need to act urgently to help children in poverty. 

Our recommendations aimed at alleviating the worst effects of the cost-of-living crisis on children, young people and families include:   

• The extension of free school meals to all primary school pupils in England   
• Develop and implement a ‘full participation plan’ to ensure vulnerable children can engage fully in school life, no matter their home circumstances  
• Strengthen social security to provide a lifeline to families on a low income  
• Improved mental health interventions and support to combat isolation for vulnerable children and young people   
• Extension of family hubs to every community   

While these recommendations will not fundamentally shift the dial on the systemic issues faced by children living in poverty in the UK today, they represent a package of support which we hope will alleviate some of the worst and immediate impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.