A quarter of parents in Britain struggle to provide enough food for their children 

A quarter of parents (25%) in Great Britain with children aged 18 and under say they struggled to provide sufficient food for their children over the past 12 months due to the current cost of living situation, according to new research published by Barnardo’s. (1) 

This is a rise of 5% since October 2022 when parents were surveyed for Barnardo’s by YouGov, suggesting the impact of the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit families who are struggling to afford to keep the power on and the fridge stocked.    

Last month’s survey of more than 2,000 GB parents also found that, in the last 12 months, 8% had made use of a local food bank as a direct result of the current cost of living situation. This is up by a third since October 2022 (when the figure was 6%.) 

Based on these findings, Barnardo’s estimates there could be around 3.4 million children – three times the population of Birmingham - whose parents have struggled to provide sufficient food for them over the past 12 months. (2)  

The children’s charity has today published a report (3) about how the cost-of-living crisis has affected some of the children, families and young people supported by Barnardo’s services across the UK. 

The report is based on 116 responses from a survey of Barnardo’s practitioners who have been working directly with families most affected by food and fuel poverty.  Many families can’t afford to put enough food on the table or keep the electricity meter topped up. 

Examples from Barnardo’s services include: 

• A young person who had spent time in care hadn’t had any electricity or gas for two weeks last winter, hadn’t been able to shower, had hardly eaten and was in deep depression. Barnardo’s topped up her fuel meter and bought an energy efficient electric blanket to minimise her gas bill. 
• A young person who had recently left care and begun to live alone for the first time was struggling to manage their tenancy and had little money for food after rent payments. Barnardo’s provided supermarket vouchers and advice on planning and cooking healthy but inexpensive meals. 
• A bereaved family struggling after the death of the father who was the main financial provider. Barnardo’s provided supermarket vouchers to help feed the children during the school holidays.  

More than one in four children in the UK are growing up in poverty. For a child, that can mean getting by without being able to put the lights or heating on, having hot meals or being able to contact your friends. It means worrying about where your next meal will come from and what the future holds. 

Sonia is a mum with her two youngest boys living with her in Carlisle. Sonia has struggled with food and energy bills. 

She said: “At one point, we didn't have the internet turned on for three weeks because I just couldn't afford to pay the bill. Things like the internet are becoming a luxury for us. But when you have two kids in secondary school, you need the internet on for them to do their homework and access education. It often feels like I have to choose between paying for the essentials and paying for things for the kids. 

“I’ve had to rely on food banks, especially towards the end of the month when money is running low, the food bank is all I have. The kids go to their dad’s house on the weekends towards the end of the month because I’m just not able to afford to feed them. That can feel embarrassing for me, but it’s the truth. 

“I think the government needs to really recognise poverty for what it is. I know there are things in place like free school meals for some which is great, but people shouldn't have to be relying on food banks. Energy prices are just unbelievable. I think even though the government are trying, I don’t think the support in place is fitting with the degree of poverty people are experiencing.” 

Every year Barnardo’s supports thousands of children and families across the UK who are struggling - to help them keep the power on and the fridge stocked so they feel safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful. It is calling on the government to take urgent action to end child poverty, starting with lifting the two-child limit on benefits. 

Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said: 

 "Millions of parents up and down the country are struggling to feed their children – with even more families struggling now than two years ago. The cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, with families facing a desperate struggle to keep the power on and the fridge stocked this winter. 

“Last month, we welcomed the government’s announcement of a Child Poverty Taskforce and stand ready to work with ministers to find lasting solutions. But families can’t wait any longer for support. We urge the government to use next month’s Autumn Budget to take bold steps – including a commitment to end the unfair two-child limit on benefits. 

“Around nine children in every classroom across the UK could be about to spend the winter feeling cold, hungry and left out. That cannot be right. Children deserve immediate and long-term solutions to give them the best chance in life.” 

Notes to Editors:   

1. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2,063 parents of children aged 18 and under. Fieldwork was undertaken between 1st - 8th August 2024.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). 

2. Extrapolation methodology: We used the latest publication on families and households from the Office for National Statistic to estimate there are 14,059,000 children aged under 18 living in families in the UK: ONS (8th May 2024), ‘Dataset: Families and households’. We then multiplied 14,059,000 with the percentage of parents for our YouGov questions to estimate the number of children who are likely to have been affected. A full outline of our methodology is included in the Annex of the report. 

3. ‘Empty plates and cold homes: What it’s like to grow up in poverty in 2024’.