According to a recent survey by children’s charity Barnardos, daily struggles are taking a toll on households, impacting parents and children socially, emotionally, and cognitively. The survey revealed that 47% of parents had to cut down on essential items such as food, heat, electricity, and medicine in the past six months. Additionally, over a quarter of parents constantly worry about providing daily necessities for their children.
Barnardos Chief Executive Suzanne Connolly highlighted the increasing demand for food vouchers and the difficult choices some families have to make. Many children miss out on simple joys like ice cream or pizza, while parents struggle to afford basic necessities like heating or varied food options.
The survey, conducted last month, emphasized the need for ongoing support for financially vulnerable families. Connolly suggested benchmarking social welfare to minimum living standards, providing lower tariffs for vulnerable families, and increasing child allowance rates. The survey included the opinions of 1,000 parents and guardians with children under 18.