Barnardo's response to the Spring Budget

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Lynn Perry MBE said: 

“The cost-of-living crisis is getting worse and more frightening every day. We know that 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. 

“We welcome the Government’s Budget announcement of funding for wraparound care through an 8am-6pm extended schools offer - a measure Barnardo’s has been campaigning for. We’re pleased to see the Chancellor extend the energy cap on prices for three months – a relief for struggling families. 

“We are however deeply disappointed at the lack of commitment in the Budget to extend free school meals for all primary school children in England and funding to tackle hunger during the school holidays.     

“We again urge the Government to urgently review Universal Credit to ensure it is linked permanently to inflation, remove the reduced payment level for under 25s; reintroduce the £20 Universal Credit uplift; and reverse the two-child limit and benefit cap. 

“We welcome the extension of the energy price guarantee and the ending of the UK’s prepayment meter premium, which will bring pre-payment rates in line with direct debit rates.  However, we urge the Government to go further and implement a total ban on forced prepayment meter installations until new protections are introduced to ensure households cannot be disconnected.  

“Across the UK, there’s an urgent need to recruit more foster carers, and to make it easier for family members to take on a caring role where appropriate, so we welcome the announcement of new tax relief measures to try to address this. Too often, care leavers miss out on qualifications, struggle with their mental health and find it more difficult to move into stable employment, so we welcome the specific investment in support for young people who have grown up in residential care.   

“With more and more children coming into care every year, we are disappointed that the Government did not take this opportunity to announce anything close to the level of funding required to fix a broken system which currently fails to meet the needs of thousands of children – despite the hard work and dedication of many professionals.   

“Finally, Barnardo’s is encouraged by the £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England, at a time when the sector is facing rising demand for services alongside increasing delivery costs.” 

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