Barnardo’s latest research, 'A crisis on our doorstep', exposes the severe impact of the cost-of-living crisis on children, young people and families across the UK. The following four key concerns emerged:
- Hunger: Barnardo’s latest YouGov polling of representative group of 1000 parents in Great Britain found that nearly 1 in 4 (23%) have struggled to provide sufficient food for their child in the last 4 months due to the cost of living, up 3% from October 2022 (20%).
- Health: Almost 1 in 3 parents (30%) said their child's mental health worsened in the last 4 months due to rising costs of living, up from 1 in 4 (26%) in October 2022.
- Essential items: More than one in seven parents (16%) said their child has had to share a bed with them, their partner or sibling, because they cannot afford another bed. 1 in 14 parents (7%) said this is happening right now.
- Staying safe and warm: Half of parents (49%) worry about keeping their home warm for their child or children. 30% of parents worry about losing their home or being made homeless.
Barnardo’s welcomes the Government’s Budget announcement of funding for wraparound care through an 8am-6pm extended schools offer - a measure Barnardo’s has been calling for.
Barnardo’s has also called for the extension of the Energy Price Guarantee and welcomes the Government’s three month extension in the Budget.
Barnardo’s has also called for a ban on forced prepayment meter installation which disproportionately affects low-income households and those in fuel poverty. The move to bring prepayment meter customers into line with comparable direct debit customers until the EPG ends is welcome. However, we urge the Government to go further and implement a total ban on forced prepayment meter installations until new protections are introduced that ensure households cannot be disconnected.