One in five parents in the Southeast struggle to provide enough food for their children
Families are struggling to keep the power on and the fridge stocked
Almost one in five parents in the Southeast have struggled to provide enough food for their children over the last 12months.
That's according to research from the charity Barnardo's who work to change childhoods and lives, so that children, young people, and families are safe, happy, healthy, and hopeful.
The survey also highlighted that 7% of parents in South East England have used a local food bank as a direct result of the current cost of living situation with around 32% having to reduce spending on household energy bills to save money.
With nearly half of those surveyed having to cut back on food costs Barnardo’s estimates there could be around 3.4 million children whose parents have struggled to provide sufficient food for them over the past 12 months.
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.”
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.