MORE than one in five parents in the South West say they have struggled to feed their children during the last 12 months due to the cost of living situation.

A survey released by the children’s charity, Barnardo’s, shows that 22 per cent of parents with children aged 18 and under struggled to afford enough food for their children, with 49 per cent are taking measures to reduce their food bills. 

The survey of 198 South West parents of children aged 18 and under by YouGov also revealed that 29 per cent of them reduced their spending on household energy in the last year to make ends meet.  

Extra debt including loans and credit cards were taken on by 19 per cent and the same percentage had to rely on friends and family to help them pay their bills.

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 out of more than 2,000 parents who were surveyed struggled to feed their children, an increase of 5 per cent since a survey was last carried out 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 per cent to 8 per cent.  

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

According to statistics, more than one in four children in the UK are growing up in poverty. 

Sarah Crawley, director of Barnardo’s South West, 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.” 

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, and we want to see the extension of the Household Support Fund which is a lifeline for families in crisis,” she said.   

Speaking about some of the difficulties, she and her family are experiencing, 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.”