Over three quarters of young people in the West Midlands worried about family finances this Christmas
A survey by charity Action for Children found 76% of children feel money worries will make this Christmas an anxious time
Last updated 5th Dec 2024
Over three quarters of 11–21-year-olds in the West Midlands fear their parents’ cashflow will lead to an anxious family Christmas, according to Action for Children.
Research by the charity, found 76% of those surveyed feel money worries will make this Christmas a nervous time, with nearly four in ten (38%) thinking their family will be worse off financially this Christmas compared to last year.
Operational director at Action for Children in the West Midlands Claire Cahill said it shows the cost of living crisis is still 'very real' for families in the region.
Seven in ten also said they think it’s likely their parents will have to sacrifice something important or special for themselves over the holidays to make sure they receive presents.
Vanessa Cole is the children's service manager for Action for Children across the West Midlands, and she says this time of year can be such a difficult one for families.
She said: "Children and young people have got enough things to worry about generally just day-to-day in their own lives and around school, but what we really are finding is that now they're worried about their parents as well.
"They're very aware of the cost of living crisis, and they're really aware of how little their parents have got or how stretched their parents are at the moment, and that's creating real anxiety for them.
"This impacts on things like their schooling, not being able to concentrate on that, and just generally their well-being at this time of year, where really, they should be excited for Christmas."
In the survey, almost a quarter of children also said they were concerned that their parents won’t have enough money to pay household bills.