‘Wellbeing emergency for kids caused by cost of living crisis’

Acute poverty is causing a ‘wellbeing emergency’ among children as parents struggle to feed, clothe and house them, affecting their education and life chances in the future, according to a blistering report on the impact of the cost of living crisis on families.

The report from Buttle UK, a charity dedicated to helping children and young people in the UK who have experienced crisis, is based on research with 1,567 people living in poverty, 81% of whom are living in destitution.

Four out of five adults questioned were unable to afford the utilities needed to heat, light or power their homes. Additionally, 43% were unable to afford their mortgage or rent. Many parents/carers indicated they were making difficult and risky decisions to prioritise keeping a roof over their heads above all other basic needs.

When faced with survival, the report shows that eating most often came before heating, but many parents are skipping meals too – for their children. 15% of respondents reported that they and their children were going without three full meals every single day of the week. A further 21% indicated that they were doing so for most days of the week, a figure which rose to 25% when it concerned families of three or more children, some of whom have been affected by the two-child benefit cap brought in by the Conservatives in 2017. Only a fifth of survey respondents reported that they did not have to skip meals.

One parent commented: “I struggle to clothe and feed my son. I’m diabetic and often don’t eat more than 1 bowl of cereal a day, just to make sure my son has the food he needs.”

Another parent said: “Sometimes they’re crying with hunger, and I know I’m filling them with empty calories just to tide them over.”

Illness

While 36% of households go without enough electricity for more than half of the days of the week, the research highlighted that families felt they could sacrifice gas more than electricity in terms of prioritisation. As a result, many families reported spending their days and evenings wrapped up in bed. Several families described bedsharing at night because their homes were so cold, including one mother sharing a single bed at night with her teenage son.

Cleanliness was often unaffordable, causing illness, mental health deterioration, bullying, social isolation and even preventing children from accessing their education as much as they should.

One recurring issue is the prevalence of black mould in homes, something many reported being unable to shift due to damp and cold. This mould was described as permeating furnishings and clothing, leaving children with coughs and in poor health. Many parents reported that their concrete floors contribute hugely to the dampness and mould. This was particularly problematic for those without the furniture needed to rest or sleep off the floor. 50% of respondents could not afford a bed to sleep in at night.

57% of respondents reported that their child’s access to education had worsened in light of the cost-of-living crisis. An even higher proportion, 76%, indicated that their children had less access to extracurricular activities, such as clubs, social groups and additional classes. A significant number said that their child had dropped out of college or no longer attended school because of their living situation.

58% of respondents indicated that they felt the cost-of-living crisis had made their relationship with their child worse, with almost a fifth indicating that it was much worse. Similarly, 60% of respondents indicated that the cost-of-living crisis had worsened their children’s friendships and social skills, with almost one quarter saying that it had become much worse. When these results were filtered to families of three or more children, these factors rose to 63%.

Parents often used words like ‘snappy’, ‘frustrated’, ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘exhausted’ to describe their parenting. They are forced to forgo their time and well-being in order to provide basic living standards. These sacrifices have a devastating impact on their relationship with their children.

Wellbeing emergency

Buttle UK calls the impact of rising poverty “a wellbeing emergency”. It says: “Children are not  sleeping because they have cold rooms, broken or cramped beds, or nowhere to sleep at all. This leads to stress and fatigue, which causes or worsens the symptoms of mental illness. Hunger and lack of food contribute to low energy and irritability, which in turn leaves little mental resources to cope.”

One mother stated: “Their father is deceased through suicide, and I had to go back to full-time work.  I am the only parent…their self-esteem is destroyed.”

The report highlights more evidence of the strain on families due to the high prevalence of parental separation, verbal abuse and domestic violence. Forms of abuse were often strongly identified as becoming slightly or much worse in light of the cost-of-living crisis.

Joseph Howes, CEO of Buttle UK, said: “The findings from this report are tough reading, but what it shows us is that the cost of living crisis is by no means over – and we need urgent intervention from the government to stop things from getting even worse. Many families are trapped in the poverty cycle, unable to claw their way out regardless of the many hours of work, and the sacrifices that they are making themselves for their children.

“More and more families are plummeting into poverty every week – and many will never make it back out – without help. We need to lift the support that these families are able to access to give them a hand up enabling them to try and climb out. And we need to better support the mental and physical health of children who are suffering in these consequences through no fault of their own. We are calling on our new government to help these children to live a life of potential, not just to survive another day.”

Buttle UK is calling on the government to lift the two child limit, raise the level of Universal Credit, devise a health strategy specifically for children and young people in poverty and overhaul the current NHS mental health provision for all children and young people in the UK.

To read the full report head to Buttle UK.

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