- Two-thirds of Barnardo’s frontline workers fear struggling families will be worse off this Christmas
- More than four in 10 workers are supporting children who don’t have enough food to eat because their families can’t afford it
- One father asks staff how he tells his five-year-old that Father Christmas can’t come
- Barnardo’s frontline worker says she’s “never seen things this bad”
A survey of more than 700 Barnardo’s frontline workers has highlighted fears over how this Christmas could be even harder than last year’s for families struggling in poverty.
Nearly seven in 10 (67%) think the families they support will be in a worse financial position this Christmas compared to last Christmas.
More than four in 10 (43%) workers are supporting children and young people who do not have sufficient food to eat because their families can’t afford it. Nearly a third (31%) are supporting children and young people who are not able to stay warm because they cannot afford adequate heating.
Nearly one in five (19%) are supporting families with harmful levels of mould in their homes.
The findings indicate that the cost-of-living crisis continues to take its toll on children. Nearly half (45%) of Barnardo’s frontline workers also said that the impact of the rising costs of food, energy, clothing and essential household items was harming children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Another 31% believe it is harming overall development.
Children’s services manager Sarah Rowe, based in South Wales, has worked for Barnardo’s for almost a decade.
She said: “I have never seen things this bad. I think this Christmas will be extremely difficult for so many families. With parents struggling to provide a hot meal and warm their houses, there is no doubt that so many will already be worrying about how they will afford Christmas presents and create the magic their children expect and deserve.
“My worry is that the pressure of funding Christmas will override the meeting of basic needs. Children should not pay the price for poverty, but unfortunately that is where we are at.
“Children are now much more aware that their parents are struggling financially. They know they won’t be able to do certain things or have what they want for tea. But how do parents tell their children that Father Christmas won’t be able to visit their house this year?
“One father said that he’d spoken to his teenage sons about not getting anything for Christmas but he didn’t know how to tell his five-year-old that Father Christmas couldn’t come. Our gift initiatives ensure that the children we work with will have presents to open and so we can relieve this pressure a little bit for families.
“Parents are often reluctant to admit just how bad things are as they feel ashamed, they cannot feed and clothe their children or keep them warm. The poor living conditions and the many pressures on families are having a serious impact on children’s mental health. When they are not sleeping or eating properly it’s bound to affect them.”
Graham, 37, lives in Essex with his six children aged between four and 16.
He said: “I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford Christmas presents for the kids if I waited until the end of the year – so I started buying them as early as February, as and when I had the money.
“It’s important to me that my kids have what they need and I’d like to make sure they have the things they want, but that’s hard to achieve when you’re struggling to make ends meet. I’m in work - it’s really important to me that I set an example to my kids and they see that it’s important to work and pay your way if you can.
“What is an absolute priority for me is that the house is warm and there’s hot water so the kids are clean. Gas and electric is something that I’ve seen double in price. It’s really hard trying to cover those costs when there’s no extra money coming in for it.
“My kids were sleeping on old mattresses on the floor, I just didn’t have any spare money for new beds or new mattresses. Barnardo’s said they could help to get us new mattresses which was incredible. I guess most people take having a warm bed for granted. Getting that sorted for the kids has made such a big difference to our lives.”
Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said:
“For children living in poverty, a ‘normal’ Christmas can mean not enough food, struggling to stay warm, going without presents, and feeling left out of festivities while others celebrate. It’s a far cry from the traditional, magical image of Christmas the rest of us take for granted.
“We want all children to feel happy at Christmas, but we know that’s not possible while they are not warm or well fed. With the ongoing high food and energy costs, our workers fear that many parents will struggle to create a special Christmas for their children this year.
“At Barnardo’s, we’re doing our best to keep the magic of Christmas alive for as many children as we can – but we can’t do it alone. If you’re able to spare anything this Christmas, please do consider donating to Barnardo’s to help support families this winter.”
Help give Christmas back to a child in poverty: https://www.barnardos.org.uk/
Notes to Editors:
The Barnardo’s Practitioner Survey was open from 9 July – 30 August 2024. The survey is open to all staff who work directly with children, young people, parents and/or carers.