Free UK debt advice charity say that parents on low incomes are facing immense pressure this summer with some even going hungry so their children can eat.
Christians Against Poverty’s (CAP) latest Opinium polling found more than 1 in 10 (12%) parents with kids under the age of 18 have skipped food in the past year so their child/children could eat, as a result of financial challenges.
CAP’s briefing paper on child poverty also shows:
35%
of parents/carers with children under the age of 5 have debt they are struggling to repay
20%
said that childcare costs prevent them increasing their income from paid employment
According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, ‘despite the UK being one of the richest countries in the world, around 4.5 million children — 1 in 3 — live in poverty.’
CAP’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Juliette Flach, says, “Many parents on low incomes are facing immense pressure this summer with high prices, the on-going costs of providing for their children and school holiday expenses.
“Having kids comes with additional costs and can also restrict parents’ opportunities to work which makes them more at risk of falling into unmanageable debt.
“Families and single parents’ financial situations and incomes can change significantly over time. Job loss, a relationship breakdown or health issues can all mean some parents who could once afford the basics for their children may no longer be able to.
Single parents bringing up children on their own often face added pressures. Over a quarter (28%) of CAP’s new clients last year were raising children on their own, with high levels of worry and fear.
Juliette Flach, CAP’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager
“No child should ever go to bed hungry or grow up in a cold home and their parents shouldn’t be forced to live that way either.”
Mum of two Nicole faced a relationship breakdown, spiralling debts and her mum, who she lived with, passing away. She says: “My mum was diagnosed with cancer and things changed income-wise. We had been 50–50 before on paying for the house but when she died I had to pay 100%. I was dealing with everything, losing my mum and the debt became overwhelming.
Being in debt takes over your life. A lot of anxiety comes with it and I was on medication at the time. I used to have physical panic attacks. The door would go and I wouldn’t want to open it – it was horrible.
Nicole says the school Summer holidays were particularly challenging when in debt, “Six weeks is such a long time so it was really tough.
“I’d have to sacrifice things for myself like walking around with trainers that had holes in them to make sure the kids had enough. I used to have to skip meals sometimes so they could eat and I’d just have some of the leftovers.”
“Food is the biggest extra cost and your kids always seem to grow in the summer so clothing costs add up as well. I used charity shops and people at church gave us some clothes.
CAP helped Nicole to become debt free:
When I got the call from CAP telling me I was debt free, I dropped to the floor. It was amazing. I’ve never felt such relief and emotion. Debt was a big part of what was making me so anxious. I’ve not been on any medication since I became debt free.
“Although with children different costs still come up, my whole attitude and mindset of dealing with money has changed. I’ve even started saving! Learning how to manage my money and taking back my independence has been wonderful.”
CAP is calling for more support for parents on low incomes and for the two-child limit to be removed. Recent data from the Department for Work and Pensions shows over 1.6 million children are living in households affected by the policy.
Juliette continued, “The two-child limit is trapping many low income families in debt which is having a detrimental impact on millions of children across the UK.
“They need a social security system where rates are sufficient to protect them from poverty and not trap them into it by providing so little that they can’t even afford the essentials.
“The UK Government has spoken at length about their ambitions to tackle child poverty so we’re urging them to take bold action to ease the pressure on parents and their children so they can thrive.”
