Barnardo’s reveals that almost a third of Welsh parents are struggling to afford to feed their children

Almost one in three Welsh parents surveyed for the charity Barnardo’s say they have struggled to feed their children during the last 12 months due to the cost-of-living situation, while more than half have cut back on food spending. 

A survey released by the children’s charity today shows that 30% of parents with children aged 18 and under in Wales struggled to afford enough food for their children, with 56% taking measures to reduce their food bills.

The survey of 190 Welsh parents with children aged 18 and under by YouGov, also revealed that 39% of them reduced their spending on household energy bills (eg gas, water and electricity)  in the last year to make ends meet. 

Extra debt including loans and credit cards were taken on by 25% and 22% had to rely on friends and family to help them pay their bills. (1)

The figures show that families are increasingly struggling to afford the basics, stock the fridge and keep the lights on. Across Great Britain a quarter (25%) of more than 2,000 GB parents with children aged 18 and under surveyed struggled to feed their families, an increase of 5% since YouGov last carried out a survey for Barnardo’s in October 2022.

The countrywide survey also showed those using a food bank due to the cost of living had risen by a third during the same time, up from 6% to 8%. 

Based on these findings, Barnardo’s estimates there could be around 3.4 million children (2) whose parents have struggled to provide sufficient food for them over the past 12 months.  

The charity has also published a report (3) about how the cost-of-living crisis has affected some of the children, families and young people using Barnardo’s services across the UK. The report is based on 116 responses from a survey of Barnardo’s practitioners who have been working with families most affected by food and fuel poverty.   

Examples from Barnardo’s services include:  

• A care leaver who last winter hadn’t had any electricity or gas for two weeks, hadn’t been able to shower, had hardly eaten and was in deep depression. Barnardo’s topped up her fuel meter and bought an energy efficient electric blanket to minimise her gas bill. 
• A young person who had recently left care and begun to live alone for the first time was struggling to manage their tenancy and had little money for food after rent payments. Barnardo’s provided supermarket vouchers and advice on planning and cooking healthy but inexpensive meals. 
• A bereaved family struggling after the death of the father who was the main financial provider. Barnardo’s provided supermarket vouchers to help feed the children during the school holidays.  

More than one in four (28%) of children in Wales are growing up in poverty according to Department of Work and Pension figures (2021/2).  Sarah Crawley, Director of Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “There is no doubt that things have got worse for families during the last two years with more struggling to keep the power on and the fridge stocked.

“Our family workers see the impact every day when they go into homes and find cold, hungry children with worsening mental health and increasing anxiety. All of it impacts on children’s life chances. 

“As a charity we have provided numerous cots, beds and bedding to replace mould-blackened mattresses, we have distributed supermarket vouchers so families can buy fresh items not available in food banks and we have helped with fuel payments, energy efficient appliances and warm clothing.

“We have even paid for school trips, so children don’t miss out on educational and social activities. That’s why this month Barnardo’s is launching a fundraising campaign so we can support more families through the months to come.”

She said Barnardo’s workers are reporting that children are increasingly aware of their parents’ financial struggles and suffering their own anxieties for the future.

“We are in the grip of a child poverty emergency and unless it is tackled now, we face blighting the futures of a generation of children. We understand that politicians face difficult financial choices, but unless they invest in children and families now, they are storing up even worse problems for the future.

“That’s why we are calling for the ending of the two-child limit on universal credit which affects 11% of children in Wales, that’s 69,000, and we want to see the extension of the Household Support Fund which is a lifeline for families in crisis,” she said.  

Last month, Barnardo’s welcomed the government’s announcement of a Child Poverty Taskforce and says it’s ready to work with ministers to find lasting solutions. The charity estimates that around nine children in every classroom across the UK could be about to spend the winter feeling cold and hungry.

Sonia Gowland, a mum of two boys, said: “At one point, we didn’t have the internet turned on for three weeks because I just couldn’t afford to pay the bill. But when you have two kids in secondary school, you need the internet on for them to do their homework and access education.   

“I’ve had to rely on food banks, especially towards the end of the month when money is running low. The kids go to their dad’s house on the weekends towards the end of the month because I’m just not able to afford to feed them. That can feel embarrassing for me, but it’s the truth.” 

Mouldy bedding, children sleeping on the floor and families forced to share one room, what Barnardo’s workers are seeing in Wales

Sarah Rowe has worked for Barnardo’s for almost a decade and is familiar seeing families struggling to make ends meet. But in recent months she has been shocked by the scale of poverty, poor housing and mental health issues affecting the lives of children and their parents.

The Children’s Services Manager working in some of South Wales’ poorest communities has come across examples of children sleeping on mattresses black with mould and others sleeping on the floor.

She has met parents unable to feed their children even the basics without the help of foodbanks, and children being offered nothing but a sandwich every day.

She has seen homes where whole families live in one room because they cannot afford to turn the lights on or heat more than a single space.

And just as worryingly, she has seen many parents with complex health needs which stop them wanting to leave their homes, leading to social isolation for both them and their children.

Sarah and her team have accessed Barnardo’s emergency funds to buy “countless” cots, beds, baby basics and white goods for the hardest-hit families, as well as providing supermarket vouchers and energy support.

The charity is launching an emergency fundraising appeal this month (September) to help support more families in need. More than one in four children in the UK now live in poverty, that’s nine in every classroom, and the figure is even higher in parts of Wales.

Sarah said: “I have never seen things this bad. Parents are often reluctant to admit just how bad things are as they feel ashamed, they cannot feed and clothe their children or keep them warm. Only when we visit the home do we discover just how much they are struggling.

“One family were sharing one plate and one fork between them.  They had nowhere to keep milk or fresh food cool and no sterilising equipment to keep their baby healthy.  The house was bare, and we had to provide them with absolute basics like crockery and cutlery.

“We’ve had a mum who escaped domestic abuse and says she spent her days in bed under the duvet through the worst of last winter as she could not afford to heat the house until the children came home from school and not always then.”

Barnardo’s have helped a family of five who were sharing a mattress in the kitchen/living area so they would only have to heat one room. 

Domestic abuse has caused long term mental health issues for many of the mothers who Barnardo’s supports. Severe anxiety can leave them scared to leave their homes to find work and that can lead to their children becoming isolated too.

In addition, they have often been left with joint debts after escaping an abusive partner which adds to anxiety. “Their problems don’t end when they end an abusive relationship. They still live with fear and debt and that has an impact on the children too,” said Sarah. 

“We have noticed that children are now much more aware that their parents are struggling financially. They know they won’t be able to do certain things or have what they want for tea. In the past most children just thought their parents could provide them with what they wanted or needed, now they realise that’s not always the case.

“We see children who cannot join their classmates on school trips. Barnardo’s has stepped in to pay for some of them when there is no support available from schools.

“We have also seen that some other charitable funds which we have previously been able to access on behalf of families have closed their applications. It’s getting more challenging all the time.

“We see families with children sleeping in cots that are too small because their parents cannot afford to buy a bed. We see broken beds and children sleeping on mattresses on the floor, even on the floor itself. We are also seeing a lot of overcrowding.

“Some of the private rented homes are in a dreadful condition with black mould and windows that let in the draughts. Landlords are not picking up the cost of improvements and it’s the families that suffer,” said Sarah.

She believes that poor living conditions and the many pressures on families are having a serious impact on children’s mental health. “When they are not sleeping or eating properly it’s bound to affect them. Sadly, alongside things like anxiety we are seeing an increasing number of children of primary age becoming violent towards their parents. 

“Older children are getting involved in situations such as trading illegal vapes and some teenagers are stealing to get what they want. It’s a massive concern for our frontline workers,” said Sarah.