Almost a third of children in the East worry over cost of living crisis

More children are worried about mental health problems too

Author: Ellis MaddisonPublished 28th Mar 2022
Last updated 28th Mar 2022

There are growing numbers of children in the East of England who are worried if their family can live comfortably because of the cost of living crisis.

Action for Children has found that almost a third of kids here are concerned about whether parents can afford to pay for the basics.

Further research also shows that of the children surveyed from low-income households, 47% worry about family finances.

Some families in Rutland are choosing to eat more microwavable meals to save on gas bills

The study found children across the region are much more worried about their own mental health compared to before the pandemic - up from 33% in 2019 to 43% today.

But, there is some optimism, with 29% of the region’s children believing they will have a brighter future compared to when their parents were their age.

Joe Lane is head of policy and research at Action for Children:

"Those children are dealing with what would normally be thought of adult issues really. They are spending their time and their concerns worrying about their families financial situations, rather than things like doing well at school, or their friends."

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