Charity Warns of Bleak Winter For Families
Pandemic has affected finances of thousands of households
Last updated 14th Sep 2020
A new report by Action for Children warns of the ‘bleakest’ winter, with thousands of families already struggling to feed and clothe their children, set to be plunged into financial crisis.
Since lockdown began, the charity has been running an emergency appeal which has supported over 10,000 vulnerable children across the country in need of urgent essentials - 63% of the fund was spent on families needing help with food, clothes, bills and learning resources3.
One in five of emergency fund applications was from Wales with 21% Welsh of households stating they were affected by a change in employment status or pay during the pandemic. A quarter of households revealing they were facing food insecurity issues such as skipping meals to pay bills were Welsh with almost one in five Welsh households (19%) saying a member of the family was struggling with mental health issues as a result of the pandemic.
While thousands of vulnerable families struggled even before coronavirus hit, a new wave of families have found themselves in dire straits virtually overnight because of falling incomes and rising household costs. A huge 71% accessing the appeal didn’t have financial issues before the pandemic.
And even with the country’s businesses being propped up by the government’s furlough scheme, one in five (21%) families revealed they had seen at least one adult lose their job or have their pay cut.
But as a possible second wave approaches, along with the furlough scheme ending and predictions of mass unemployment, two thirds (66%) of the charity’s key workers on the ground fear families will become worse off over the next six months.
Hundreds of Action for Children’s key workers across the UK have been delivering help to families in desperate and challenging circumstances with almost one in ten (9%) having to donate food from their own cupboards, and other reports of topping up food parcels with fresh nutritious food, or driving long distances to collect it.
The majority said they have also needed to provide extra emotional support for parents and children, with many having to work longer or unusual hours to get families and children the support they need.
As it launches its End Childhood Crisis campaign, the charity is warning that a generation of children are at risk of being scarred by poverty and now the pandemic.
Case study: Leanne Lewis from Port Talbot applied for money from the fund after her husband Matthew was furloughed and the payment of his wages delayed. Leanne’s oldest son, Kai (18) has cerebral palsy and had attended Action for Children’s NPT Swansea Community Short Breaks to give him support and time to socialise for over 10 years.
The project works closely with Swansea and NPT councils to support children and young people with disabilities to access community activities (POPS) and provides overnight stays with Family Link Carers in the area.
Leanne said: “My husband was furloughed and wasn’t paid for two months so Action for Children provided us with £100 to do a food shop as that was a worry on top of everything else. We would’ve been grateful for any amount and it was one less thing to worry about that week.
“I was surprised, but so relieved we were eligible for help. The support we had from the Action for Children Emergency Fund took a bit of the pressure off and I was able to get a few extra things in for the children.’
Brigitte Gater, national director for Action for Children in Wales, said: ‘Six months into this pandemic, families are really struggling and facing a very difficult winter. While parents on low incomes already under severe pressure, a new wave of families who’ve never needed help before are now also struggling to make ends meet.
‘Our key workers have had to deliver life-changing support to thousands of ordinary families desperate to keep their kids clothed and well-fed. With furlough ending and unemployment set to rise just as we hit the colder months, they’ll be facing a very grim winter indeed. We’ll be there to support them this winter, but the UK Government must put a protective shield around struggling families by boosting child benefit and extending the £20 a week increase in Universal Credit beyond next Spring.”