The charity examined data from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Family Resources Survey (FRS), which shows that 983,279 children aged 10 and under across the UK are living in materially deprived, low-income families. This is 11 per cent of the total under-10 population. The average UK primary school class size is 28 children.
It also looked at findings from the Office of National Statistics’ 2017 Living Costs and Food Survey and found that parents ‘below the breadline’ are able to spend on average of just £2 a day per child on food and struggle to afford anything nutritious.
During the school holidays, these parents are often worse off as there are no free schools meals available.
Action for Children says at least 50 of its services have provided foodbank support over the past year, and with demand so high, the charity is planning to host unofficial foodbanks again over the festive season.
Chief executive of Action for Children Julie Bentley said, ‘Politicians are telling us austerity has ended but every day at Action for Children our frontline services say child poverty levels are at the worst they can remember. While some families will spend the Christmas holidays putting their children to bed early to keep warm because they can’t afford to heat the house, for others it has become the norm to not have a winter coat, rely on foodbanks, or for their children to miss out on hot meals.
Ms Bentley added, ‘The next Government must deliver ambitious policies to end child poverty and bring in a National Childhood Strategy to give all our children a safe and happy childhood. But until every family has enough money to keep their child warm and well fed, we will continue to help them. That’s why we’re asking the public to get behind our Secret Santa campaign to help us support our most vulnerable children, not just at Christmas but every day.’
Case study
Leanne and her partner live in Glasgow, have four children under 12 and both work. After struggling to afford food for their family, Leanne approached staff at an Action for Children Centre who were able to provide her with foodbank support.
Leanne said, ‘After my third [child] was old enough, I got myself a 13-hour contract job at night. It wasn’t much but I had three children under 10 so I wanted to be there for them. I was so optimistic, and I just thought we were going to be so happy. But then all the bills and taxes came in. Despite us both having an income, we had less than ever. I remember saying to my partner that we can’t afford to work.
‘I would just sit in all day and cry. I couldn’t do what was right for my children. Their friends were getting fancy new clothes and technology and I was struggling to keep a roof over our heads. I couldn’t feed them. They were living off chips and plain pasta to fill them up, but it wasn’t healthy. There were times I’d make the kids food and just watch them because if I ate, I didn’t know if I would be able to get more food for dinner the next day.’
'One day, I went to the Action for Children centre and just broke down. That was when my worker got me access to the foodbank. But I was so embarrassed. How was it fair that we are both working, and we are in the foodbank, how are people able to survive?’
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Become a Secret Santa by texting CHILD to 70607 to donate £10 or by visiting iamsanta.org.uk.
