More than 1 million children growing up in poverty
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has released it's annual poverty report
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says it's "heart-breaking and wrong" that a million children under the age of 4 are growing up in poverty.
In their annual report the York based organisation says even with extra support many are now suffering because of the rising cost of living.
It also says the Government's withdrawal of the £20 uplift in Universal Credit has left many families can't afford essentials such as food, hygiene products or heating.
Cost of living having a huge impact on families
Around 7.2 million people have been going without basics such as meals, showers and heating, and 4.7 million getting behind on their bills, according to JRF research this winter. It says the difficulties being faced by many as a result of the cost of living crisis have coincided with the withdrawal of the £20 uplift being offered to some families through the social security system.
According to their research April 2022 saw the greatest fall in the value of the basic rate of unemployment benefits since 1972 – and the period since has seen low-income households’ finances continue to buckle under the pressure of the cost of living crisis.
Peter Matejic, Chief Analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said:
“This winter we have seen two crises collide – the cost of living is forcing families to cut back on essentials and our health service is being overwhelmed by demand. Leaving people to go hungry, skip showers or live in cold homes risks further profound and long term consequences – not just for individuals’ health but for the state’s capacity to deliver what all of us as citizens should be able to expect.
“It was heart-breaking and wrong that your family characteristics and race had such a huge impact on your level of risk during the pandemic – and it is also wrong to see such a strong and continuing overlap with poverty rates.
“But governments are far from helpless and none of this is inevitable. The £20 uplift was the right political choice which clearly made a huge difference during the pandemic and may have prevented what were tremendously difficult years becoming a complete disaster for families around the UK.
“The relief provided by this measure, taken away just as the cost of living crisis hit, also demonstrated that the standard rates of social security are fundamentally not fit for purpose, with millions now going without essentials such as food, heating and cleanliness.
“These problems can be solved, but it takes the political will and imagination to tackle multiple injustices at once - and all of us need a government and an economy that works for us when times are hard.”